Anastasia is not one to shy away from hard work. She once demonstrated her dedication at the Special Olympics Colorado State competition at Copper Mountain, earning a gold medal in Giant Slalom and a silver medal in Slalom. Her experience in training for the Special Olympics, along with her work at Have Dreams, gave her the confidence and skills to pursue independent employment.

Anastasia began working with Drew Philips, her Employment Specialist, to find a job that would make the most of her cleaning and organizational skills identified through Discovery. She joined Trader Joe’s as a Crew Member, quickly becoming a valued part of the team.

At Trader Joe’s, Anastasia applied her organizational skills by facing items throughout the store to create a neat, customer-friendly display. Drew said, “From her first day, she has showcased her amazing work ethic and ability to learn her job. Anastasia quickly became independent at work and got rave reviews.” Emma, the store manager, added, “Anastasia is doing a great job! She is always where she is supposed to be, working hard. We have a lot of crew members that want to partner with her.”