December 2024 – Iris Rivera

Born in Kentucky on an Army Base and raised in Holyoke, Iris Rivera has lived in Springfield for 19 years. She loves to crochet, design and create clothing, and sing in her spare time. Currently, she is a Property Manager responsible for maintaining twelve properties. Through her experience with Dress for Success of Western Mass, she decided to pursue a training program to become a Line Cook.

Iris has always considered herself a go-getter, striving to learn new things and grow. Iris shared that “the sky is the limit, leaving nothing but the opportunity to gain important values for my future.”  Iris participated in the DFSWM Foot in the Door program as part of the 17th cohort, which dubbed themselves “Warrior Women.” She enjoyed the learning process and the sisterhood she felt among her peers.

Iris says that DFSWM inspired her to do better for herself and encouraged her to want to do more. She was grateful for learning to create an impressive resume and how DFSWM prepared her for future job interviews with appropriate clothing and the mock interview process. The most meaningful thing she learned in the program was to stay focused, keep trying, and never give up.