RISE- Readiness for Individual Success in Employment
This fully-funded 4-week program is designed to assist young adults in transitioning from high school to adult life. RISE is a partnership between Abilities of Northwest Jersey Inc. and Employment Horizons.
Meet Juliette!
Juliette was already very familiar with horses when she arrived for her first morning of work at Mane Stream. She rode for a few years when she was young and even showed a couple times. She proudly told us she even remembers getting two 2nds and a 1st place ribbon. She loves animals and, after working at a dog shelter for a couple years, was excited to try training at Mane Stream. Although a little nervous at first, Juliette made connections with many of the herd and learned a lot about horse behavior. We won’t tell the others, but Juliette did say that Buzz was her favorite.
Juliette shared her thoughts about her month at Mane Stream: “Working at Mane Stream was definitely an adventure. Each of the horses had such huge personalities, each different from the rest. Each day you walk into the barn not knowing what fun thing is going to happen. One thing I will miss is seeing one of the horses, Buzz, in the stall being goofy or just hanging out, keeping me company. Another thing I will miss will be having a fun time with the horses while doing my tasks. Working with Barn Manager, Anna, was awesome and a good learning opportunity because she shows what tasks need to be done and how to do them. She also gives off big sister vibes and is always ready to joke around with while staying focused on the tasks that need to be done.”
While at Mane Stream Juliette and her job coach, Rachel, assisted Barn Manager, Anna, with a whole variety of tasks. They tackled everything from grooming and bathing to feeding and cleaning, and maintenance of all things horse-related. They even learned a little about field management - which involved spending time in the fields raking up old hay so that grass will grow evenly.
This was Anna’s first experience mentoring and she said, “Juliette was wonderful, and made great progress during her time at Mane Stream. She was very funny and lovely to be around. It feels good to share my craft with someone who is so interested!”
We send good wishes to Juliette on her next adventure! We also look forward to partnering again with Abilities of Northwest Jersey Inc.
