“Warehouse Supervisor”

BY MADISON EVERS

He’s a supervisor at a warehouse and has learned different skill sets as a result of working in warehouses since he was 19. He is now 46. He never went to college, partly because he couldn’t afford it for a long time. That’s how he grew up — never being able to afford much of anything.

My mom gave birth to me when she was only 17 years old, meaning she couldn’t finish high school when she was supposed to. She had to get her GED in her early twenties and later took college classes to get a better-paying job. Seeing this growing up really puts into perspective the value of the work you are able to do. As soon as I could work, I did. 

I moved out of my mom’s house at 19 and got a job at Walmart in the warehouse section. That job didn’t pay enough for me to be able to afford $400 rent, and I had to travel a lot for work.

Throughout the years, I decided to stick to warehouse work since I felt like I was good at it. I’ve gained many skills from years of working and of understanding different viewpoints. I worked my way up to multiple leading positions in warehouses. A change from being at an entry-level position to being a supervisor was learning how to handle conflicts with my employees. I don’t appreciate it when people in general start talking in a rude manner. After switching from job to job throughout my years, no matter where I went or how much experience I had, people were still rude to me, and learning how to handle it took a lot of time.

Even as my employees sometimes yell at me, I have to remember why I’m here and why I’m working. I know that the work I’m able to do while I’m here is valuable to someone. I’m thankful for the ability to work. Even if it’s not much, I could be in a much worse situation.