“My background hasn’t always been the best. If I had known Goodwill offered these resources back then, I would have used them. Now I can help people in the community who are struggling and point them to what Goodwill offers.”
When Jessica Nixon started with Goodwill in 2019, she never imagined she would be in the position she’s in today. But thanks to the advocacy of retail leaders, the resources and opportunities provided at Goodwill, and her own determination, Jessica is now thriving as a store manager in training.
After just 90 days as a part-time cashier at the University Pointe store, she quickly moved into a full-time role. Then-manager Michael Tarlton immediately saw leadership potential in her and encouraged her to pursue management.
“I wanted to learn from the ground up,” she says. “That way, when I did become a manager, I’d be able to train my team because I knew every position. And I wanted my team to respect me for the work I put in.”
A year later, when the store temporarily closed for a remodel, Jessica supported several other locations, including the Franklin Square store, where more leaders saw her potential. Christina, then a store manager and now her Pathways coach, was one of them.
Among her other supporters was Area Operations Director Nicole Langford, who Jessica credits with helping her grow not just professionally but personally.
“She made me take a step back and really evaluate myself. I thought I was ready for certain things, but I wasn’t yet. And I thank her for that, because now I feel prepared.”
When an opening for a retail sales manager at University Pointe appeared, her colleagues didn’t just encourage her – they insisted she apply. She interviewed, earned the role, and stepped into leadership before the store even reopened.
Six months later, she was promoted again – this time to assistant store manager. And in November 2025, after years of steady growth, Jessica earned her current title, marking nearly seven years of continuous advancement at Goodwill.
“It makes me feel very supported,” she says. “Not just by retail leadership, but even on the corporate side. I have a big support group.”
Jessica’s development hasn’t been limited to her career. She also turned to Goodwill’s Pathways program to strengthen her personal foundation. Pathways is a one-on-one coaching program available to Goodwill team members designed to help them reach personal and professional goals, whether that’s financial stability, career advancement, or navigating life challenges.
“There were things in my personal life I needed to work on – my credit, budgeting, just navigating things I’d never been taught,” she explains.
She first joined Pathways as a cashier, took a break, and then reengaged when Christina became a Pathways coach. Their existing rapport made it easy for Jessica to open up about her goals and challenges.
“Christina has helped me personally and professionally. She’s coached me on interviewing, building my resume, understanding reports, and she’s helped me get my finances on track.”
That financial stability led to one of Jessica’s proudest accomplishments: moving into her own apartment for the first time.
“I didn’t think I could do it on my own. But I made it happen. I’m paying my own bills. It proved to me that I can do it.”
Jessica has also taken advantage of Goodwill’s leadership development programs, including Heart Works and Emerging Leaders.
“Heart Works really helped me because I lead with emotion. I want people to feel valued. Emerging Leaders helped me understand my leadership style. I’m an SI (she explained when describing her disc assessment) – I’m a people person, and I want morale to be great.”
Her leadership growth has opened new doors, including opportunities to support the School of Retail, the onboarding training that all new retail hires complete before starting in the stores.
“I love helping with training. It gives me something different to do, and I get to impact people who are brand new to Goodwill. A lot of them don’t know what Goodwill represents. Being part of preparing them for their first day means a lot to me.”
With nearly seven years at Goodwill and a steady climb through multiple roles, Jessica’s future is bright. She’s proud of how far she’s come and grateful for the people who helped her get here.
“Goodwill is the best organization I’ve ever worked for. They put so much into their employees – part time, full time, everyone. And they put so much into the community. I’m thankful to be part of that.”
Jessica’s story is proof that when opportunity meets determination, pathways truly do lead to prosperity.
If you would like to help other community members and Goodwill team members on their pathway to prosperity, consider supporting Goodwill by making a financial contribution or shopping and donating at one of our retail and donation locations.
If you would like to become a Goodwill team member, you can explore open positions and apply online.
Odile is thriving in life thanks to the help of Goodwill’s Pathways program, offered free of charge to Goodwill team members thanks to the community’s donations and purchases at our retail stores. The Pathways program is designed to support our team members in achieving their professional development and personal goals. Goodwill team members have the opportunity to work with a Career Navigator, who acts as a personal coach, to assess current needs and skills, explore options for educational and career advancement, and work on an action plan to achieve goals.
“I always wanted to go to school,” Odile said. “When I joined Pathways, those were my goals: to go to school and become an American citizen.”
With the guidance of Pathways coach Ayme, Odile began turning her aspirations into achievements. Since joining Goodwill in July 2020, she has earned her associate degree from Central Piedmont Community College and proudly became a U.S. citizen in August 2023.
“When I came to America, I made a list of all the things that I want to accomplish in America. After I became legal, it was like a snowball effect; everything just started to happen,” she said.
But she’s not done — she’s currently working on her bachelor’s degree and hopes to one day obtain her master’s degree.
“Pathways has opened up a new world for me,” Odile said. “Right now, I’m working on my bachelor’s degree at Johnson C. Smith University. I want to become a licensed clinical social worker. I need to finish my bachelor’s, and then I’m going to go for my master’s and do what I need in order to become a mental health therapist.”
The transition has not been easy for Odile, who once owned her own business, but it has put her on the trajectory to prosper.
“The reason why I came to Goodwill was because I became very sick. I used to have an eBay store, and I did that for 12 years from home, but then I could no longer sit in front of the computer,” she said.
Today, Odile enjoys working at Goodwill and jokes she may never want to leave. Thanks to the resources provided, she has been able to advance her life and accomplish both personal and professional goals.
“Pathways has helped me beyond my imagination. The support I have received through Pathways has helped me grow not only academically and professionally but also personally. Beyond achieving my college degree and becoming an American citizen, it has helped me become more self-aware and work on areas of personal growth. Today, I feel like a completely different person because of that.”
Graham is thriving in his role as an E-commerce Shift Leader, but just a few years ago, life looked different for the Goodwill team member.
“I was moving back from Greensboro to where I was raised, here in Charlotte, and I needed to find a job and quick because I didn’t have a place to stay. So, I was couch surfing at the time,” Graham explained of his life before Goodwill.
Referred by friend and Apparel Quality Specialist Paige, who works at our Ballantyne-East store, Graham was hired at Goodwill, starting as a Donation Material Handler.
“I didn’t really know where I was going to go with this organization or anything, but I just came in open-minded,” Graham said.
Thanks to donations and purchases at our retail stores, Goodwill is able to provide team members with services and developmental resources like Pathways, an internal coaching program designed to help team members achieve personal and professional goals.
“I believe you get out of it what you put into it. So, I was like, I’m going to just put in my all and see what I get out of it,” he said.
Graham was assigned to Pathways coach Ayme, who helped him grow with Goodwill and achieve personal goals he set for himself.
“From our very first session, I could tell that this is someone that heard me and was not just doing their job, but someone that genuinely cared,” Graham shared. “She really puts the person first, and that goes a long way when building relationships.”
Today, Graham is in a leadership role thanks in part to Ayme and her continued coaching.
“I did my work, and I continued to meet with Ayme, and she continued to pour into me, and I continued to take those lessons with me and work on those goals I wanted to do. And one of the big goals was to find a place because I didn’t want to be on the couch for much longer.”
Today, Graham has his own apartment. He was able to achieve this goal by climbing the ranks within the organization. When he accepted the position as Retail Shift Manager at our Steele Creek store, he was making enough money to get his own place.
“It was really exciting for me to feel more stable and to really start thinking about the future and starting to move away from just survival mode,” he said.
From there, he continued to grow, applying to positions internally, landing in his current role as an E-commerce Shift Leader, where he’s been for nearly a year.
Graham isn’t done yet; he is now in the process of accomplishing a new goal. With help from Goodwill’s tuition reimbursement program, he’s in college at Central Piedmont Community College studying business administration.
“I never thought that college was for me, but in the back of my mind, it was something I always aspired to do. Both my sisters went to college, and I always knew it was something that I could be able to do, but I just had to have the oomph to go out and do it,” he explained.
Ayme is also making sure Graham is financially literate, helping him set a monthly budget and properly invest for retirement.
Through the Pathways program and Goodwill’s investment in its team members, Graham and 210 other Goodwill team members have been able to successfully achieve their goals and advance their lives.
“Honestly, it gives purpose to what I do every day because I know how the work we do actually impacts people, and I’ve seen it, not only for myself but in my peers as well, and it inspires me to get up and come into work.”
Graham wants to continue growing in leadership, and he has a great mentor, his current manager Doug, to help him achieve his goals.
“From the very first day, I could tell Doug was a different type of leader, and he was definitely one that I appreciated,” Graham said. “I think Doug is great because he cares about the people, and he cares about building them up, and he’s not afraid to let you go and keep growing. And I want to be that kind of leader in the future within the organization so that I can pour into the next person, and we can have an environment of people that want to help people achieve their goals.”
Learn more about working with purpose at Goodwill here.
You can view Graham’s inspiring story via video here.
Michael had experience in the construction field – but for him, the journey to a more focused and fulfilling career started with a desire to specialize.
“I was working a handyman job, doing a little bit of everything,” he said. “And I wanted to take my skills and focus them.”
Michael learned about Goodwill’s tuition-free Construction and Trade Skills training program through his therapist and quickly signed up, beginning with the Construction Basics program and moving into the Electrical training program.
“I like to learn new things. It was a little bit intimidating, but exciting at the same time,” he emphasized. “I was excited to go to class. It helped me get out and talk to new people and network.”
Goodwill participants receive wraparound services to help them on their pathway to prosperity. Two of the most valued tools are a Career Navigator that works with participants one-on-one to achieve their goals, and an Employer Engagement Specialist who helps connect them with meaningful jobs. The team, and especially his Career Navigator, Verona, played a key role in helping Michael navigate the process of preparing for employment.
“She helped me a lot, and the relationship was good from the get-go,” Michael said about Verona. “That process was pretty much seamless.”
Before he completed the program, an opportunity opened up to work at Goodwill, and Michael accepted a job offer as a Facilities Technician at our Goodwill Opportunity Campus.
“I like the variety because it’s never the same job. I also like the camaraderie. Everybody’s nice and friendly,” he stated.
Since joining the organization as a team member, his understanding of Goodwill’s mission has deepened.
“I didn’t understand fully before what Goodwill was about,” he said. “Now that I do, it makes me feel like a better person.”
And at Goodwill, our mission starts at home. In addition to serving the community, we’re committed to supporting our own team members. Through programs and supports like personalized career coaching, professional development, tuition reimbursement, basic needs assistance and more, we aim to create opportunities for our team members to grow their careers and achieve more for themselves and their families, whether that future is with Goodwill or beyond.
Goodwill’s services offered to both the community and team members are made possible thanks to financial contributions from donors and shopping and donating at our 36 retail stores and donation drop-off locations. For Michael, the personal investment was worth it for the opportunity that followed.
“The training is free, but it cost my time and effort,” he said. “The opportunities that follow are amazing. It might seem simple, but it’ll take you somewhere nice.”
If you would like to help participants like Michael on their pathway to prosperity, consider making a financial contribution, or dropping off your gently used donations at one of our 36 stores or more than 40 donation drop-off locations.
Finding Her Voice: Janice’s Journey from Stay-at-Home Mom to Assistant Manager at Goodwill
For two decades, Janice’s full-time job was raising her children. But when her youngest entered middle school, she knew it was time to take a bold step forward for herself and for her family.
“I was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years. My youngest is 14, so when he finally got into middle school it was my time to do something to help my family,” Janice recalls. “I decided to get back into the working field, so I applied to Goodwill as a part-time Cashier.”
What began as a part-time role quickly evolved into a career path for Janice. Her dedication and drive propelled her into higher roles within the organization. But it wasn’t just hard work that helped her rise – it was also the support she found through Goodwill’s Pathways program, a free professional development resource available to all Goodwill team members thanks to community donations and purchases.
“I’ve gone from a part-time Cashier to Shift Lead, and now to Assistant Manager,” she says. “I joined the Pathways program to help me build the confidence and develop the leadership skills that I needed for this role.”
Through Pathways, Janice was paired with Christina, a dedicated Career Navigator, who became a trusted coach and mentor.
“Ever since I met Christina she’s helped me tremendously,” Janice says. “My confidence has been building, and I’m able to go after things strong.”
Christina helped Janice develop communication strategies, leadership techniques and the confidence to speak up and advocate for herself.
“She’s taught me the skills needed to say what I need to say and how I need to say it. It’s also a good platform for if I have any concerns or things I need to voice my opinion on. I can do that comfortably with her.”
After six months in the program, Janice says the transformation is clear – not just to her, but to everyone around her. She hopes to grow even further within the organization, with her sights set on a promotion to Store Manager next.
“It’s just a good place to grow and learn more about myself,” she reflects. “I’m able to engage more with my other managerial staff and with other team members, and I can see the growth within myself. My family can see the growth in me, and it’s just amazing.”
Janice’s story is a powerful example of how Goodwill’s mission starts at home. Through the Pathways program, team members like Janice are empowered to pursue their goals, build their confidence and unlock their full potential.
If you would like to help fund tuition-free training programs that help people like Janice on their pathway to prosperity, drop off your gently used donations at one of our 36 retail stores or donation locations, or make a financial contribution.
Learn more about working with purpose at Goodwill here.