Finding Her Path: How Catalyst Helped Elisa Discovered a Career She Loves
Elisa is currently enrolled in the Catalyst program, but she was first introduced to us during the 2024 Summer Jobs program, now called Work Ready. While participating in the Summer Jobs program, she showed an interest in working outdoors with animals. Because of this, Elisa was matched with a local farm and worked there during her time in the program. During that experience, she discovered that although she loved animals and enjoyed her time on the farm, her future career path lay elsewhere.
In 2025, Elisa applied for and became enrolled in the Catalyst program. Through the program, she completed career exploration and discovered what career path was a good fit for her— dental assisting! Elisa recently successfully completed all of her classes at FCC and received her Dental Assistant Certification. She is now working as a Dental Assistant at a local pediatric dentistry office. She will be taking the extra step to become x-ray certified will be taking an Oral Radiology course in the Spring.
We are so proud of Elisa and all the hard work she's put in to get to where she is now. The following is a quote from Elisa:
"Before joining the Catalyst program, I was unsure what career path to pursue. I had a lot of interests such as photography, graphic design, and nursing, and I did not know which ones aligned with my strengths and interests. I felt very overwhelmed and stuck because there were so many options and I did not know how to narrow them down. I struggled with uncertainty and did not know how to start building a career or what steps to take to move forward.
The Catalyst program helped me discover what type of career I wanted to pursue. I was very indecisive, but when I finally found something I liked doing, it involved helping people, and my current career path helps me fulfill that. The most valuable part of the program was how patient and supportive everyone was. They helped me discover my potential and reach goals I never thought of reaching, so I really value how much they helped me succeed. The job I have now is at a pediatric dentist office working with kids. I really enjoy it.
Even though I am new to everything and a little stressed at times, I love learning new things, so it is very satisfying. I really enjoy my team and our dentist, he really wants me to succeed and be confident in myself. I have really enjoyed the time I have spent learning new things and helping people.
My advice to young people who are unsure about their career path is to explore what you like and find something you are going to enjoy doing. If things do not work out or you realize you do not like what you are doing, do not be afraid to change direction. Explore different parts of yourself. If you are artistic, hands on, or curious about different things, try them all out. The thing that sticks and feels right is usually the path worth pursuing."
Catalyst provides eligible young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 with individualized career services at no cost! You will partner with an experienced career specialist to develop and implement a plan to help you reach your educational and employment goals. Learn more about the Catalyst program.