Scott Sattler enrolled in a course to become a programmer and found a new career as an instructor. PAGE 5
Goodwill employee
STORIES OF HOPE & TRANSFORMATION SUMMER 2023
Spring ’23 Python programming graduates celebrate their success.
CONTENTS
2 What is the Goodwill Career & Technical Academy?
3 The Henna Education Center
Celebrating 3 years of success, thanks to Marci and Louis Henna
4 Code for Success
Certification in the world’s fastestgrowing coding language
6 Good Friends of Goodwill
Good Friends mean the world to us and to those we serve
8 New and Improved
The latest store openings and renovations
10 A Good Night for Goodwill
Partner with us as a sponsor on Sept 29, 2023
Top: We celebrated Good Friends of Goodwill, at a festive launch event.
Bottom: The new Town Lake store generated so much interest, a line formed hours before the grand opening.
To donate, visit goodwillcentraltexas.org/giving/ or scan: 1
GOODWILL OPENS DOORS
—Kevin, Graduate of GCTA
Goodwill Career & Technical Academy
GCTA’s free accelerated career training programs provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to secure employment in high-demand industries with tremendous opportunities for growth. Graduates earn industry-recognized credentials, and are connected to employers in their new career field.
GCTA students move into the workforce and begin earning income at an accelerated pace. Your charitable donations allow us to provide this at no cost to students:
★ Small class sizes
★ Day and evening classes
★ Dedicated one-on-one career guidance with a career case manager
★ Job-readiness training
★ Job-placement assistance
GCTA continually adds new classes as career opportunities shift. Our two newest classes are Apartment Leasing Professional and Medical Coding and Billing.
Classes at the GCTA provide career opportunities to people who have been marginalized or faced obstacles to traditional career options.
Upon completion, our students gain confidence and feel prepared to reshape their futures for the better.
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the goodwill Career & technical academy
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The Henna Education Center
3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
March marked the three-year anniversary of the GCTA expansion into the Henna Education Center, which also houses The Goodwill Excel Center Adult High School.
To celebrate its anniversary, GCTA hosted a free community fair showcasing community partners and resources including over 28 organizations for education, health, training, and career advancement.
100% pass rate for students taking the Medical Assistant certificate exam.
600+ high-demand certifications have been earned since 2020.
The annual Henna Award for Philanthropy honors Marci and Louis Henna, Jr., for which our Henna Education Center was named. It is through the generosity of donors like the Hennas that our education center was made possible.
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I DISCOVERED GOODWILL IS A MASSIVE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.
I DISCOVERED GOODWILL IS A MASSIVE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.
Learn to Program with Python is a GCTA technology course which offers a path toward a successful, long-lasting career as a programmer.
The First Step to Success | Python, the world’s fastestgrowing programming language, is used in every field imaginable— web and game development, robotics, medicine, and more.
Designed for people interested in a technology career—regardless of backgrounds or disabilities—the course requires little to no previous programming experience. Goodwill also offers full tuition grants for qualifying individuals.
How It Works | Here’s what we offer:
•Hands-on approach teaches the fundamentals of the standard Python library
•Prepares students to pass the Python Certified Entry-Level Programmer (PCEP) certification exam
•Helps students enter the software industry through job-readiness, apprenticeships, and job placement
Python is a prerequisite for more advanced programming languages, enabling graduates to deepen their career potential.
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—Scott Sattler Graduate turned Python instructor ”
Another Success
Story | Scott Sattler, pictured here and on the cover, cracked the code for a meaningful and successful career. Scott was surprised when he heard about GCTA’s Python program through the Texas Workforce Commission when he was considering a career in IT. “I had previously viewed Goodwill as merely a thrift store. I discovered it was also a massive job training program that has been extremely helpful for me and countless others.”
Upon completion, he had many exciting new career opportunities, and his instructor recommended him for a teaching position at the GCTA. Scott felt this opportunity would maximize his potential and help him grow as an individual. “The job has been extremely helpful to me, and has allowed me to better manage social anxiety that can cause problems with interview performance. I also enjoy helping those that are less fortunate than I am, and empowering the disadvantaged, which aligns well with Goodwill’s mission.”
Scott is just one of the many community members who has found a successful career through Goodwill training programs such as Python. In 2022, the GCTA served 311 students and awarded 350 credentials in various classes and certification programs. The average hourly wage at job placement last year was $17.34.
5 the goodwill Career & technical academy
On May 4, we gathered with our Good Friends of Goodwill for an inaugural ‘Thank You’ reception at Hotel Viata. Our generous donors and corporate partners enjoyed live music, delicious food, and signature cocktails on the Laurel Patio overlooking the Texas Hill Country. Good Friends of Goodwill recognizes annual donors who make gifts of $500 and above to support our mission. Who are our Good Friends? Visit thatsgoodwill.org/good-friends-of-goodwill
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Left to right: Board Chair Margaret Moten, President and CEO Rob Neville, and Honorary Good Friends Chair Curtis Page share gratitude for the impact of philanthropic gifts.
NEW AND IMPROVED
Check out our new stores!
TOWN LAKE
A NEW TOWN LAKE STORE
2411 Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin, TX
Town Lake opened the doors to its new store on March 31. Customers were so excited, they lined up hours before the opening!
A RENOVATED LAKEWAY STORE
1901 RR 620 SOUTH, Lakeway, TX
Lakeway reopened its doors on May 2. There were scratch-off tickets, a food truck, and lots of shopping to be done!
AN EXPANDED GEORGETOWN STORE
3010 Williams Dr., Georgetown, TX
Georgetown reopened after renovations and expansion of the store on May 11. Customers were greeted with custom shopping bags.
LAKEWAY
Every donation you make to Goodwill helps us provide education, career training, and job opportunities for people in our community like Donya. Donya turned to Goodwill when she needed some help, and was able to certify as a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy Technician at the Goodwill Career & Technical Academy. Next she hopes to become a Registered Nurse. That’s your donations at work. That’s Goodwill.
When you donate, your second-hand creates second chances. www.goodwillcentraltexas.org
1015 Norwood Park Blvd. Austin, TX 78753 A GOOD NIGHT FOR GOOD WILL ★ SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 Benefiting programs at Goodwill Central Texas that transform lives through work. Please visit thatsgoodwill.org/good-night-2023 for sponsorship and table information at the Junior League of Austin Center
