SUCCESS STORIES

Christian Villareal

When Christian Villareal was diagnosed with autism at a young age, the doctors told his parents that his future was bleak and he’d likely stay at home. But Christian quickly defied those odds. After learning graphic design in school, he became interested in using his skill as a vocation. At The Roland Center, Christian learned the fine art of screen printing and now is one of the leading team members producing T-shirts, hats and other promotional products for the community. In fact, if you like The Roland Center’s logo, it was designed solely by Christian. To hear more about Christian’s story in his own words, watch our video of him.

Meet Terri!

Terri has been a long-term participant with The Roland Center in our Work Activity Program, where she earns a wage while developing her skills in the nuances of foodservice as part of this hands-on instructional program.

In her time working with our foodservice team, Terri has learned and improved on a variety of skills, including multitasking and customer service.

Cooking has always been a passion of Terri’s, cooking for herself and her loved ones, but her excitement reaches new heights with the opportunity to cook with our team members and for her peers in our onsite diner, Randy’s Café.

In this service, Terri serves and interacts with other adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities while working shoulder to shoulder with our team of talented foodservice professionals.

“This is a good job and I really enjoy it. I don’t want anything to change.” – Terri

Meet Martha

Before participating in The Roland Center’s Work Activity Program, Martha was working on her own in the community.

After several disappointing experiences in traditional workplaces, Martha began looking for alternatives. That’s when she found The Roland Center!

Martha works in our clerical data entry where she is thriving as she learns a variety of skills with our talented instructors.

Now, Martha is excited to come to work every day and grow side-by-side with her friends and instructors that understand how to support her in her goals.

Meet David

David has been a participant at The Roland Center since 2011 where he has spent much of his time developing many skills on the computer, including preparing and presenting PowerPoint presentations.

Additionally, David has taken a key role in his class by assisting his instructors and even working on the development of our graphic design program where he has designed several items and contributed to creating the program’s organizational systems.

David used to feel a bit nervous, but, since recognizing his talents and demonstrating them to his peers at The Roland Center, he is now thriving and feeling more confident than ever.

Some of David’s passions include enjoying his favorite superheroes (like the Green Lantern), classic cars, and, especially, MUSIC. David loves music! He has built a collection of CDs featuring his favorite artists, such as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, and Backstreet Boys, and frequently sings to them in his room using his karaoke machine.