February 2023 Employee of the Month

It is with pleasure that we honor Jillian Murillo, Café Assistant in Kids Café 2019, as the February 2023 Employee of the Month.

Jillian exemplifies what it means to directly change the lives of our youth through her thoughtful, engaging and empowering interactions with students who receive work-based learning at Kids Café. She does this not only in her position, but also through her role in a grant-funded project delivering pre-employment transition skills to youth with disabilities who are served in our Special Education program. Her intentions go beyond students learning job skills in a restaurant setting. It is important to Jillian that she offer an inclusive environment that values each student as a productive citizen in our community.

Jillian doesn’t shy away from a challenge. During the pandemic, Kids Café was closed to the public and without a manager, but the team still wanted to find a way to continue serving students with a work experience. Jillian stepped up as interim-manager and through creative restructuring, was able to keep the café operating as a worksite for students to receive on-the-job training by providing FCSS employees with daily lunch options.

During this time, the café also reinvented its menu. Jillian’s creativity and ideas helped develop systems that would lead to increased student participation at the café. She believes that when provided the right supports, students with disabilities can show their true potential and deserve access to the same opportunities as their peers. Jillian always demonstrates respect, flexibility and clear communication with her colleagues no matter what the day brings, which is one of the many reasons why she is so effective in creating a safe place for students to learn and grow.