Jonathan was finishing college and searching for work. Future Pathways helped him find the confidence and the job. 

When Jonathan joined Future Pathways, he was finishing his final year at California State University Long Beach while simultaneously trying to launch his career. He already worked with a job coach and started an Indeed account through a different program.

He was applying. The jobs just weren’t coming through.

Rejection is discouraging under any circumstances. For Jonathan, the search got harder in October when a weather-related car accident left him without reliable transportation. His job search radius shrank. His options narrowed.

By the time he found Future Pathways, he was managing a college degree, an active job search, and a difficult set of logistical barriers all at once.

Before the program, Jonathan wasn’t sure what he was good at or how to access the employment resources available to him.

He wanted to work. That was never the question. What he needed were the tools to translate that motivation into something an employer could see.

Future Pathways gave him a language to express his own strengths. He learned the difference between hard skills and soft skills and how to demonstrate both. He left understanding how to come across as someone genuinely ready to grow.

He also left with a concrete plan: applying to six to twelve jobs per day and targeting part-time or full-time employment within six months.

Jonathan points to one moment as the turning point in Future Pathways.

He was practicing interview questions and, for the first time, answered without relying on notes. His words came out naturally, in his own voice.

For someone who started the program anxious about interviews, that moment represented a real shift in how he saw himself as a candidate.

Jonathan is now working as a warehouse associate and freight handler. From the start, he was open to any local job that paid a fair wage and was within a reasonable distance of home. That openness, combined with the interview skills and self-knowledge he built in the program, helped him land the role.

He is also continuing to work with the Department of Rehabilitation as he pursues his longer-term goals, which include financial stability and saving for a car.

Jonathan’s advice to anyone considering the program is clear:

Future Pathways is a joint initiative of Autism Society Inland Empire and Daivergent. The program is designed specifically for Regional Center clients who are ready to take meaningful steps toward employment, education, and the experiences that lead there.

Future Pathways runs for 130 hours across approximately 13 weeks. It combines small-group instruction led by ACRE-certified vocational specialists with personalized coaching and customized career planning. Participants build skills in communication, digital literacy, professionalism, and self-advocacy alongside a small cohort of peers who are working toward similar goals. 

80% of Future Pathways participants agree that they developed the skills to get a job within six months in the program. 

The cost of Future Pathways is fully covered for eligible Regional Center clients.

Learn more and apply at daivergent.com/future-pathways.