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PEER COACH SPOTLIGHT: WILLIAM
Aug 21, 2024
Meet William! William is one of our wonderful Working Fields peer coaches serving our Vermont region. Every jobseeker at Working Fields is paired with a peer coach to help them achieve their goals and build stability. All our peer coaches are trained in strengths-based skills, are experts in local resources, and have their own lived experience overcoming barriers. We’re incredibly grateful for William's dedicated support of our Associates. You can learn more about him in the Q&A below.
Working Fields (WF): What do you like most about being a peer coach for Working Fields?
William (W): I really enjoy the peer coach role at Working Fields because I'm able to meet people where they're at, listen, and offer resources. I get to support people to be successful in their jobs, and with anything else in their lives they want to check in about. We identify goals, and strategies for what folks can do to achieve them.
WF: How has peer, family, and/or community support impacted your life?
W: As a person with lived experience of challenges around: employment, mental health, substance use, criminal justice, homelessness, and poverty, I've needed a lot of help along the way. Sometimes this has come from professional service providers, often from family members, and consistently from peers in 12 step programs. Each of them have made important contributions to my journey.
WF: Who is someone you admire and why?
W: I admire my 3 kids: Jackson, Tate, and Teagan. My goal for them has always been that they're better than me in every way. I'm proud to report that this is true across the board! They are each: intelligent outstanding students, kind and loyal friends, strong, hardworking, talented athletes, driven self-aware individuals, and downright beautiful people.
WF: Favorite artist or musician?
W: Can you really have just one? Genres are probably easier: Be-bop, Hip-Hop, Rap and Rock, even some Metal if the mood is right. I dig some Classical, and a bit of Country. I've got to admit the kids have me liking Pop more lately, and now I can sing along with all the Swifties :)
Working Fields (WF): What do you like most about being a peer coach for Working Fields?
William (W): I really enjoy the peer coach role at Working Fields because I'm able to meet people where they're at, listen, and offer resources. I get to support people to be successful in their jobs, and with anything else in their lives they want to check in about. We identify goals, and strategies for what folks can do to achieve them.
WF: How has peer, family, and/or community support impacted your life?
W: As a person with lived experience of challenges around: employment, mental health, substance use, criminal justice, homelessness, and poverty, I've needed a lot of help along the way. Sometimes this has come from professional service providers, often from family members, and consistently from peers in 12 step programs. Each of them have made important contributions to my journey.
WF: Who is someone you admire and why?
W: I admire my 3 kids: Jackson, Tate, and Teagan. My goal for them has always been that they're better than me in every way. I'm proud to report that this is true across the board! They are each: intelligent outstanding students, kind and loyal friends, strong, hardworking, talented athletes, driven self-aware individuals, and downright beautiful people.
WF: Favorite artist or musician?
W: Can you really have just one? Genres are probably easier: Be-bop, Hip-Hop, Rap and Rock, even some Metal if the mood is right. I dig some Classical, and a bit of Country. I've got to admit the kids have me liking Pop more lately, and now I can sing along with all the Swifties :)