After losing her position with the federal government due to a reduction in force at the National Institutes of Health in July 2025—while on maternity leave—Mary Grace Hebert faced an uncertain path forward. Although she secured a remote role with a nonprofit that September, she was laid off again in December due to restructuring, leaving her to restart her job search in early 2026.
Determined to find support, Mary Grace reached out to Amanda Rosenbloom at WorkSource Montgomery after noticing a shared professional connection. Amanda quickly accepted her request, connected her to FWCC staff, and continued to offer encouragement by sharing job leads and helpful resources through LinkedIn. From there, Hewan Teklu guided Mary Grace through onboarding and connected her with career coach Tal Shahar, who developed a personalized job search plan that included weekly goals for applications, networking, and professional development.
With consistent support and accountability from the FWCC team, Mary Grace stayed focused and motivated throughout her search. After approximately four months, she successfully secured a new communications role in mid-March.
“The WSM team really cares. They didn’t just provide generic resources. They made sure that I had the support that I needed.”
Reflecting on her experience, Mary Grace shared that the FWCC team went beyond providing generic resources—they made sure she felt supported every step of the way. When she returned to the center to offboard with Tal in person after accepting her new role, she described the atmosphere as joyful and uplifting, a reflection of a team that truly cares about the people they serve.