10/27/2026
Success Spotlight: Adali Bautista
Sometimes, the right opportunity and a little encouragement can make all the difference. For Adali Bautista, Goodwill has been a place to find both.
Adali started as a store associate at Goodwill’s Fremont store in December 2024. About a year later, Assistant Store Manager Dawn Dexter encouraged her to try the Customer Care Professional Certification program through Goodwill’s THRIVE Academy. The eight-week program helped Adali strengthen her customer service skills and taught her a lesson she still carries with her: “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
During training, Adali didn’t just focus on her own learning. Program Coordinator LaTonya Burks remembers how she stepped in to help classmates who needed extra support using their laptops. Adali was eager to learn and even put her new skills to use in her part-time role at the Newaygo library.
With support from her Fremont coworkers and Career Coach Anthony Rickley, Adali also connected with GoodTemps. The program connects job seekers with employers, offering temporary assignments to gain experience and build professional connections, with opportunities that can lead to permanent employment. Participants receive weekly paychecks, with no placement agency fees.
Today, Adali works as a receptionist at the Goodwill Career Center, greeting visitors with her signature smile. Fluent in three languages, she loves helping people overcome language barriers and feel welcome.
Dawn says Adali’s warmth and confidence made a lasting impression on Fremont customers, while Community Services Manager Carl Lewis praises her positive attitude, attention to detail, and genuine desire to succeed.
LaTonya adds, “Adali deserves this recognition. To Adali, you are such an awesome person. Keep striving for higher heights and deeper depths.”
Adali is grateful for the encouragement she’s received, especially from her friends at the Fremont store. Her advice to others? “Take every opportunity that’s presented to them—don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!”
And to everyone who has supported her along the way, Adali has two words: “Thanks, Goodwill!”