The work that Matt does tends to be hands on, which is also how Matt not only likes to learn, but also how he likes to teach. Matt makes sure to take his time teaching. Matt would rather take the time to teach the correct steps to do a job, it’s more important to do the job right, than quick and wrong. Matt knows that speed improves with experience.
When Matt works one-on-one with a participant he does his best to break the task down in to smaller chunks that are easier to remember. Matt says, “I try to explain each step as clearly as I can. I always want to make it as easy as possible for a participant to understand their role in a project.”
The mentor training gave Matt an idea of what to expect, and he gained helpful insights from other mentors. All of the mentors try to help each other succeed, which in turn helps the program participants succeed.
Matt says, “It is the job of a mentor to help everyone, including all types of people, many who have all different types of barriers. We are all different, and we all learn differently.”
Even though the pace of work on the production floor is fast, Matt knows that value of patience. As participants learn and gain experience they are able to contribute in a more meaningful way to the workflow, and as that happens their confidence grows.
My proudest moments are always when I see a program participant I worked with get a good job. Seeing how happy they are, it makes me feel good that I had a small part in helping them.
– Matt Foster / Orion Mentor
Matt says, “My proudest moments are always when I see a program participant I worked with get a good job. Seeing how happy they are, it makes me feel good that I had a small part in helping them.”
Matt is also a huge motorcycle enthusiast, and is a member of the Orion Riders. He has participated in several charity rides this year, including and Iron Butt Challenge in September in which he rode 1000 miles in 24 hours, the Waste Connections Poker Run in August, Children’s Ride 23 to support Seattle Children’s Hospital and 65 Roses Ride for cystic fibrosis research in July, and the SIDS ride to support sudden infant death syndrome research in June.
