Hired through a friend. Promoted in three months.

Jayson Zelaya Bonilla joined Bridges through his friend and fellow participant Jeffrey Munoz Morales. He was dedicated from the start, never missed a meeting, and worked with several members of the Boston team along the way before settling with a primary Youth Employment Specialist in July 2025.

John helped Jayson apply and interview at Ben & Jerry's. It was John's first placement. Jayson was hired on August 2, 2025.

Two months in, things were going well. Jayson liked his coworkers. He worked shifts at four different Boston-area Ben & Jerry's locations, which kept the work interesting. He started online college courses in the fall, and the part-time schedule gave him room for both.

In November 2025, Jayson hit his 90-day mark. Around the same time, a regional manager visited his store. Jayson kept himself busy while the managers met. After the meeting, the regional manager told the store managers that Jayson had a great work ethic. The store managers agreed.

Jayson's manager moved him into a shift lead role. The promotion meant consistent hours through the slower winter months. Jayson told John the job had helped shift things positively in his life.