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Greg is a person who lights up the room with enthusiasm. Greg first worked with Orion in 2017. He commented, "I was apprehensive. It was something new. Eventually, I started getting the hang of it and enjoyed it." "A mentor noted that I had a good eye for detail and for focusing on a quality product—I could really do this! In deburring, I had a kind of sensate tangibility—being able to feel proper smoothness."
When asked about leaving Orion to start a new job, Greg remarked, "You want to hang on—go through things and learn more about aerospace manufacturing. It was a bittersweet moment. I gave a presentation and spoke in front of all the people. It was a great moment, and it was sad. I had to say goodbye… [to Orion]." "I was having so much fun sometimes, I was afraid that Tamie [Job Developer] was going to come and say there was a job for me; I had a trepidation that she would point me to something that would mean my time at Orion was ending, and I'd lose all the fun of Orion."
Greg experienced success in other job opportunities, yet he returned to Orion in 2020 for additional support, just in time for the Covid Pandemic. Greg observed that "…the Chinese word for crisis is opportunity." And he found an opportunity with Bartell's, where he was an essential employee, maintaining a safe workplace.
Greg's duties included wiping down surfaces to mitigate COVID spread. "I threw myself into this and made it a game," Greg recalled. "I made it fun and interesting—I focused on the mission. I set goals for myself by certain times, tests, and challenges. I worked through the monotony, understanding that I was doing something important—preventing the disease."
Like Orion, Bartell observed Greg's winning traits. Greg recalls being told that he was "…the hardest working man in show business" and that "[He] had a magical ability to retrieve things that no one else could get."
In 2020, Orion celebrated Greg's accomplishments by naming him Orion's Participant of the Year. Greg recalled, "When they presented me with the award at the warehouse, it was a really big surprise. When everyone came, I was very literally surprised."
When asked to describe Orion, Greg said, "Orion was always a place that I could count on because I had backup support with Tamie and a lot of other people who helped me, placing me in the right position."
Greg added, "[Orion is] productive, dynamic, [and] exciting. There was so much to learn."
Greg also talked about how the winning traits he'd learned at Orion followed him and continued to support him at Bartell's. "Orion prepared me with a sense of punctuality and motivation. Orion gave me a sense of structure, plus, within that structure, there was a certain flexibility as long as I stayed motivated and focused on what I was doing."
Greg's commitment to working hard was recently honored by Bartell's. "I was given Bravo Cards, which are personal commendations. I was able to enter a drawing for a new car. I didn't win the new car. I won a gift card to Grub-Hub and clothing from the [Bartell's] catalog."
Orion was a place of transformation for Greg. He recalls Orion as a "place that is making a difference." He added, "I have talked to people about Orion. I've told them to check it out and let them know if you are interested in improving your job skills, training skills…they are a fantastic program." Greg said that all the things he learned at Orion "followed me to Bartell's" and have led to his success.
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