At 28 years old, Haronie has been part of the Mychal’s community for many years, growing alongside the programs that support young adults with developmental disabilities. He first joined the After School Program in 2019 before transitioning into the Path to Independence (P2I) program. Today, he is training at Mychal’s Print & Embroidery, where his strong work ethic and growing technical skills have made him a valued member of the team.
Haronie especially enjoys working on the embroidery machines. Polos, towels, and hats are some of his favorite items to embroider, and he takes real pride in the final details. After each piece comes off the machine, he carefully trims the product to make sure it looks just right. He confidently lines up garments between the machine’s magnets without assistance, selects thread colors, and threads the needle with ease. He also helps with direct-to-film projects using the heat press and says he has “a lot of fun” working alongside his friends and seeing the finished designs come together.
Print shop Supervisor JW has watched Haronie’s growth firsthand. As JW shares, “Here at the print shop, he consistently shines. Haronie demonstrates excellent attention to detail, a strong memory, and now requires minimal prompting to complete his tasks. He is both efficient and effective in his work.” JW also notes that Haronie “shows genuine interest in embroidery and takes pride in seeing each job through to completion,” adding that “most days we practically have to ‘drag’ him out the door because he is so committed to finishing what he starts.”
Haronie brings more than technical skill to the print shop. He is very observant, kind, and has a dry sense of humor the office staff has come to know and love. That quiet attentiveness shows up in his work and in how he supports his teammates. As JW puts it, “Haronie collaborates well with his peers and is a valued contributor to our embroidery department… I am confident he is fully prepared for a job opportunity.”
Haronie is also building job experience in the community. He currently trains at Grocery Outlet in Lomita, where he helps empty and break down boxes and displays bottled water. In the future, he hopes to continue working either at Mychal’s Print & Embroidery or at Grocery Outlet. His mom Khanh shared that “he always looks forward to days he works at the print shop,” which says a lot about how meaningful this training experience has been for him. He also looks forward to culinary class during program, where he excels at food prep and cooking- skills he takes home with him where he enjoys searing his own steak for dinner.
For Haronie, the goal is simple and powerful: to earn a paycheck and continue doing work he enjoys. Whether that future leads him to a job at the print shop or continued work at Grocery Outlet, he is building the skills, confidence, and independence to get there. With his attention to detail, strong work ethic, and pride in a job well done, Haronie is more than ready for what comes next. And around Mychal’s, we have a feeling this is only the beginning.
