{"id":184078,"date":"2024-09-23T11:19:47","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T15:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=184078"},"modified":"2024-09-23T11:19:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T15:19:47","slug":"where-are-they-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/california\/where-are-they-now-sammy","title":{"rendered":"Where Are They Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;184080&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Sammy joined the Best Buddies Jobs program with a clear vision for his future\u2014he dreamed of becoming a chef. When he came to Best Buddies, he was already halfway through his culinary courses and eager to gain real-world experience. With the help of Best Buddies&#8217; Manager of Job Development, Sammy explored various career opportunities and ultimately set his sights on a food service role at Disneyland. After navigating the rigorous application process, Sammy received the exciting news in December 2021 that he had been hired as a busser for Disneyland\u2019s Bengal Barbecue restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Sammy\u2019s hard work and dedication began to pay off. He quickly mastered his responsibilities as a busser, which allowed him to take on full-time hours and earn benefits\u2014a significant milestone for him. As part of his long-term goal to move into a kitchen role, Sammy focused on building his skills, cross-training in food preparation with the support of his supervisors. His culinary coursework was a valuable asset, helping him refine his technique as he worked toward applying for a food prep position.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-184079\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2024-BBCA-Sammy-Article-Collage.webp\" alt=\"Sammy Article Collage\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2024-BBCA-Sammy-Article-Collage.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2024-BBCA-Sammy-Article-Collage-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2024-BBCA-Sammy-Article-Collage-150x79.webp 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now, in 2024, Sammy has taken another significant step forward. After three intensive days of cross-training in the kitchen, Sammy was promoted to Steward at Bengal Barbecue. This promotion brings him closer than ever to achieving his dream of becoming a chef. His culinary certification is nearly complete, and he\u2019s preparing to officially apply for a food prep role\u2014the next key step in his culinary journey.<\/p>\n<p>Sammy\u2019s story is a testament to his passion, persistence, and the incredible support of his team at Disneyland and Best Buddies. He continues to inspire others with his journey, showing that with dedication and the right opportunities, any dream is possible. We\u2019re excited to see what the future holds for Sammy!<\/p>\n<p>Check out our original article about Sammy to see his growth: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/california\/sammy-at-disneyland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/california\/sammy-at-disneyland<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>About Best Buddies Jobs<\/h2>\n<p>The Best Buddies Jobs program represents one of our organization\u2019s four key mission pillars, Integrated Employment. This program secures jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), allowing them to earn an income, pay taxes, and continuously and independently support themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The Jobs program places focus beyond the typical jobs in which a person with IDD might be placed. Best Buddies focuses on finding work that matches the job seeker\u2019s interests and talents.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sammy&#8217;s Journey in the Culinary World<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2080,"featured_media":184080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"ca-single-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Where Are They Now - Best Buddies International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/california\/where-are-they-now-sammy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where Are They Now - 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