Mona has been a vital part of The Center for Pursuit’s community for over 20 years. Mona is a resident of The Center’s supported living program and joins Pursuit Learning Academy (PLA) daily. She loves to stay busy! Each day at PLA, Mona enjoys participating in new activities, learning new skills, joining community outings, and spending quality time with her friends. Mona is an active member of The Center for Pursuit’s Girl Scout Troop and loves the comradery and business skills they practice during the yearly cookie sales. Mona also participates in Best Buddies and recently had the honor of matching with a new Buddy. Mona often engages in conversations about disability, because it is important to her that everyone understands her many capabilities!
Chester has been a member of The Center for Pursuit community for over 15 years. He loves to keep active, meet new people, and make new friends. He is always eager to help others and volunteer his time to pick up lunches and assist staff in any way he can.
Chester has a love for adventure and enjoys taking trips and interacting in different activities in the community, such as going to the movies, eating out, and shopping. Recently, he learned about safety and what to do in case of danger during train rides.
Chester is also a super fan of the Houston Rodeo and loves to dress up in his cowboy hat and boots. Each year he especially enjoys seeing the trail riders and is always excited to see the cowboys and horses.
Chester’s positivity and eagerness to embrace life are an inspiration to those around him. He shows us the importance of being selfless, open to new experiences, and pursuing our passions.
Serena is an accomplished individual who has overcome challenges and is committed to her personal growth and development. After being recommended by her school counselor, she joined The Center for Pursuit’s Employment Services program and successfully secured her first job as a barista at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Houston. In this role, Serena has shown a passion for learning new recipes and providing exceptional customer service, and she has developed strong communication and social skills.
Outside of work, Serena enjoys pursuing her artistic hobbies of drawing and jewelry making, which allow her to express her creativity and engage with the world around her. Through her experiences in employment and pursuing her interests, Serena has developed a sense of determination and resilience, and she is committed to continuing to set and achieve new goals in her life. She aspires to travel to California in the future and looks forward to experiencing new places and opportunities to continue her personal growth and development.
When David came to The Center two years ago, he started out in our vocational training program. In the months after he arrived, David had the opportunity to rotate through a variety of packaging, assembly, and shipping tasks and quickly mastered a variety of skills while building social skills. He recently got a job as a patient escort at the VA Medical Center here in Houston. He enjoys meeting and talking to all of the patients he encounters, particularly because his sister is an army veteran. David is thriving in his new position, quickly gaining a reputation as helpful, courteous, and capable. He takes pride in providing great service. When he’s not at work, David enjoys reading crime novels, playing games, and doing outdoor activities.
Morgan’s journey at The Center for Pursuit began with seeking employment support at The Center for Pursuit through our Employment Services program. He worked with our team of job coaches to ensure he found a job that would fit his skills. Morgan is now thriving at The UPS Store as a Counter Helper. He greets each customer with a smile and provides top-notch service for all their shipping, moving, notary, and printing needs.
Morgan is a shining example of dedication and reliability, making sure every customer leaves satisfied with the service they are given.
Roshonda is an energetic and determined person who loves trying new activities. She takes part in Pursuit Learning Academy at The Center for Pursuit, a program that gives her the opportunity to be with her friends and grow as an individual. Roshonda says her favorite aspect of coming the The Center for Pursuit are the other participants in the program. She saying that she loves being able to learn alongside her best friends every day. In her free time, Roshonda enjoys spending time with friends, dancing, doing chores around her home, and watching BET.
Erinne is a graduate of HCC Vast Academy, which helped prepare her to enter the workforce. After learning the ropes at Goodwill and E-books, Erinne is now the Receptionist at The Center for Pursuit. Erinne is a leader and is eager to help with different office projects, answering phones, greeting guests, taking visitors on tours, coordinating the conference room schedule, ensuring the room is ready for events, and prepping meeting folders. She is always happy to lend a hand in any task, from labeling and stamping holiday cards to making sure there are gingersnaps available for our guests.