Solomon Lopez, 73, had his life change in October 2005, when his wife had an accident, was hospitalized and ended up with a disability.

Before this life-changing event, Lopez had a wide variety of job experiences. He had two degrees in civil engineering and sanitary engineering from the Philippines. There, he built 52-story buildings and ran large construction crews.

Solomon Lopez celebrates his accomplishment of employment with Labor staff.

Once he became a U.S. citizen, he worked at Micron but was laid off. Despite this setback, he persisted and went to Boise State University to upgrade his degrees from the Philippines and completed a construction management program.

When Lopez pursued the opportunity to upgrade his degrees, the Labor Department was there to connect him to valuable resources.

As time went on, his wife’s condition worsened due to another accident. Lopez needed to shift his career path and to make decisions that were best for the household to support his wife. He took a part-time job with Ross Dress for Less so he could alter his work hours and be his wife’s caretaker. The company couldn’t provide him with enough hours due to his schedule, so he was laid off.

“You have to be a strong person and not give up,” Lopez said.

Workforce Consultant Sherri Fine at Labor’s Caldwell office found him discouraged while attending an employment workshop. Fine and other staff including Alex Gutierrez, Kyle DeJesus, Ramon Martinez-Vera and Traci Petitt — assisted him in finding a new job with Durham School Services in the West Ada School District that fit his schedule and offered a pay increase.

“Sheri, Alex and everybody…they were able to help me with everything immediately,” Lopez said. “They are all wonderful.”

In his new role, Lopez assists kids with disabilities on the school bus, keeping them safe during bus rides. Now, he is able to work part time, take care of his wife and provide for his family.

Fine said Lopez was genuinely enthusiastic about working with the children and he even learned magic tricks to entertain them during bus rides.

“He persevered through discouragement and balanced the responsibilities of being a devoted caregiver to his wife — which understandably impacted his availability,” Fine said. “Through intentional decision-making and accepting help each visit, he found a role that not only accommodated his caregiving responsibilities but also proved to be deeply fulfilling.”

Lopez said he had a great experience with the Caldwell local office and encourages people not to give up on their job search, to be passionate and keep looking.

“I think helping special need students is the perfect job for me. I am giving back to the community what the department has given me,” Lopez said.

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Anyone needing help with their job search can visit your nearest local office. Services include assistance with resume development, interviewing and even getting connected to apprenticeships or internships.

The Idaho Department of Labor’s employment services programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY26 as part of Wagner-Peyser Act grant (70%) and state/nonfederal funds (30%) totaling $8,737,333.

Lindsay Trombly, Public Information Specialist

Idaho Department of Labor