Over the last year and a half, many have faced reduced hours and layoffs due to COVID—our clients included, but those challenges have also presented opportunities for some to finally reach for their dreams, like Lifelong client, Renne Duran-Galvis. He says he couldn’t have done it without his case manager, Alma Garcia Santos going the extra mile.
Renne had a lifelong dream of becoming a flight attendant, and while his hours kept getting cut at a hotel he was working at, he decided to get Alma’s help to finally achieve that goal.
“My first experience on an airplane was when I was 5 years old and I really liked the whole sensation of flying,” explained Renne. “The first time I tried to become a flight attendant was at 18 years old and now I am 41. I spent my whole life trying to get this job while living in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and finally Seattle.”
Alma, Assistant Program Manager for Medical Case Management, who already supported Renne with medical case management, worked to help him apply for Lifelong’s job assistance request. Unfortunately, our employment services program was at capacity, with an influx of requests from people needing employment support during the pandemic. While Alma doesn’t specialize in employment assistance, she has relentless compassion for her clients and couldn’t just turn him away or put him on a long wait list, so she decided to help him directly.
“I told him that I could look over his resume for tips and suggestions, which I don’t think I could have said fast enough before I had an email from Renne with his resume,” said Alma.
After updating his resume with Alma, he applied to various flight attendant jobs and not long later, he got a request for an interview with Seattle-based Horizon Air.
“One of the things that caught me off guard was when I asked him what questions he had prepared for the interview and he said he had none,” said Alma. “In his home country, it was a bad thing to have questions for employers because it reflected that someone wasn’t prepared. So I offered to do some mock interviews and actually sit with him during the first interview, which I was more than happy to do.”
Although Renne was nervous about how the cultural differences and language barriers would impact his interview, he was offered the position.
“I worried my English wasn't good enough,” explained Renne. “I was very nervous, but then I got the email saying that I was hired. I couldn’t believe it!”
After weeks of intense training, Renne was soon working in the air and living out his dream. He’s enjoyed making connections with his passengers and is looking forward to progressing his career to fly routes to Latin America and other Spanish-speaking destinations where his bilingual skills will help him bridge the communication gap on his flights.
He says none of this would have been possible without Alma’s compassion and coaching.
“Lifelong is so much more than social work,” said Renne. “I would not be where I am today without Alma. She made me feel confident, comfortable, and that I can do whatever I want. Everyone needs an Alma in their life. She has celebrated every single accomplishment I have had, and this is the reason she is not just a typical social worker—she is my friend and family.”
Alma says all the credit goes to Renne.
“I’m so excited to see Renne working at his dream job,” said Alma. “He did all the work and I just encouraged him along the way. At Lifelong, we celebrate each one of our clients’ accomplishments, big and small—it’s a huge part of who we are and what we strive to do to make everyone feel supported and like we are another extension of their family on their journey to their best health and life.”
Renne may just be your flight attendant on your next vacation! RSVP to Lifelong’s Dining Out For Life event for a chance to win two tickets on Alaska Airlines!