{"id":521164,"date":"2026-11-07T01:02:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/521164\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T01:02:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T01:02:14","slug":"confidence-and-coffee-how-first-course-and-wrigley-coffee-are-giving-long-beach-students-job-training-and-morale-boosts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/521164\/","title":{"rendered":"Confidence and Coffee: How First Course and Wrigley Coffee are giving Long Beach students job training and morale boosts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking into Wrigley Coffee, customers are met with color and vibrance amidst the aromatic caffeine fixings, from the shop\u2019s earthy interior, espresso drinks all the way down to the service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That lively energy is brought in by local high school students working their first job, who often rotate behind the caf\u00e9\u2019s counter \u2014 the energy they bring daily, excitement in their eyes and an eagerness to learn new things.<\/p>\n

Browning junior Aubrey Hunter Iverson was always interested in workforce experience. However, she noticed how difficult it is for teenagers to get workforce experience before graduation. According to the Pew Research Center<\/a>, teen employment has dipped from 58% in 1978 to 35.5% in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Ten students at Browning High School take turns practicing a variety of skills such as handling the register, creating the various coffee drinks and working together on Nov. 5, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a teenager, it\u2019s hard to get that [experience],\u201d she said. \u201cSo [First Course] was something I was really excited for, it\u2019s something that I thought would be beneficial.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the past four weeks, ten Browning High School students participated in First Course at Wrigley Coffee, a program that has made huge impacts on the students.<\/p>\n

Powered by Forward Endeavors<\/a>, Browning High School and Wrigley Coffee, First Course Workforce Development<\/a> provides students with 36 hours of hands-on training inside a caf\u00e9, including one-on-one coaching with a variety of mentors.<\/p>\n

Students attended sessions after school every Tuesday and Thursday, giving them hands-on instruction behind the counter and training using espresso equipment, learning point-of-sale systems and serving customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"First Course Workforce Development interns take turns being customers, taking orders and preparing a wide range of drinks on Nov. 5, 2026. The Browning High School students also prepared the cashiers to handle difficult customers and a wide range of situations. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

The students were split up into three teams: team Macha, Latch\u00e9 and Coffee. On Thursday afternoon, two groups played the role of customers while the other group focused on creating the drinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everything culminates with a ceremony and mock caf\u00e9 shift set for Friday evening, with their friends and family in attendance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the pressure of putting everything they\u2019ve learned on display, students were calm and excited during the Signal Tribune\u2019s visit Thursday. Laughter filled the air and the synergy was palpable.<\/p>\n

\"\"Browning High School students methodically practice each step they\u2019ll be doing during Friday\u2019s mock caf\u00e9 shift set, such as steaming milk and handling the cash register on Nov. 5, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune) <\/p>\n

Anaitze Trujillo, a junior at Browning, learned about First Course after her friends graduated from the program.<\/p>\n

During that time she met the executive director of Wrigley Coffee, Chris Cano. Browning\u2019s program facilitator and pathway coordinator, Daniel Miyake, felt Trujillo had a natural ability to make people comfortable in the shop and asked Trujillo if she wanted the internship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trujillo is part of student government, but never had a job before joining First Course. The program, she says, helped a lot with her confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program is really essential for high schoolers, especially how we get looked down on because they [adults] expect us not to know much,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it adds to my resume and it adds to my list of skills. I can communicate, I know customer service, I know how to approach certain conflicts if there was a customer who wasn\u2019t happy. Honestly, I just have learned to really be communicative and really approach things differently.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trujillo said working for a non-profit business such as Wrigley Coffee makes it feel pure and genuine, saying she wouldn\u2019t have been this excited working in a chain company Starbucks.<\/p>\n

\"\"Anaitze Trujillo practices putting the ingredients together for drinks and use espresso machine on Nov. 5, 2026 at Wrigley Coffee. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

She also emphasized how First Course fostered a positive environment for the students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re able to be in an environment where you\u2019re not scared or you\u2019re not shy, it really helps everyone open up their shells,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just means a lot knowing that we have adults in the room that we trust, but not [getting] lectured by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trujillo was ecstatic about Friday\u2019s mock caf\u00e9 shift, and invited everyone she could think of \u2014 despite the fact it meant she\u2019d have to make more drinks.<\/p>\n

Will Geoghegan, the course instructor for First Course Workforce Development and program coordinator for Forward Endeavors, is one of the adults who helped foster the relaxed, positive environment at Wrigley Coffee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even after a full day of school, Geoghegan said they always came engaged, with smiles, good energy and ready to learn.<\/p>\n

\"\"Throughout their practice caf\u00e9 shift, students at Browning High School couldn\u2019t help but smile throughout their shifts on Nov. 5, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really been inspiring to me to see how eager they are to learn these skills that hopefully they\u2019ll carry with them for the rest of their lives,\u201d he said. \u201cThey just have very unique interests and they all are ready, willing to be good team members and help each other out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Geoghegan said the program helps the high schoolers learn about communication, workplace norms, job search and resume tweaking from a different perspective than just family members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He views it as a sandbox for the teenagers to get their hands dirty with real world experience. Geoghegan went as far to give them his cell phone number and email for the students to connect with him after the program ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before Thursday\u2019s practice run, Geoghegan walked through specific scenarios with the teenagers and was there to give advice about how to welcome guests as the cashier or what ingredients are available for Friday\u2019s service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Will Geoghegan, the course instructor for First Course Workforce Development, talks with each group just before their practice shifts about what to expect, in preparation for Friday\u2019s mock caf\u00e9 at Wrigley Coffee on Nov. 5, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Iverson, one of the Browning High School students in the program, saw flyers in the hallway promoting the program and like Trujillo, had heard positive things about the internship from a friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The experience taught her how a workplace environment is built on trusting the people around you, how to be cordial with customers and other skills she never anticipated. Iverson also learned to slow down and be patient when brewing coffee, something she learned while practicing making drinks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Being in a relaxed yet fast-paced environment also helped her get comfortable speaking up if she needed help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Aubrey Hunter Iverson, a junior at Browning High School, practices putting the drinks together and enthusiastically calling the names of the completed orders on Nov. 5, 2026. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Iverson said while the program ending is bittersweet for her, she is thankful for the opportunity to be part of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really important to have this in Long Beach.\u201d she said. \u201cIt gives opportunities to earn my course experience and decide what to do and to any parent, teenager who may see this, I just want to say it really is a good thing to be a part of, I had a lot of fun and learned a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wrigley Coffee community showcase will take place Friday, Nov. 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a closing ceremony from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 437 W. Willow St. Residents should RSVP online at firstcoursewfd.org\/showcase<\/a> if they would like to attend to support the students graduating.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Parents and students can read more information about the First Course at firstcoursewfd.org\/<\/a>.\u00a0Companies interested in partnering can also learn more on their website.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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