Many of Santa Barbara's most notable citizens got their start in the working world just like anyone else - working out of necessity and for the experience. When we caught up with some of them to find out what their first jobs were like, these exceptional citizens all felt that these first forays into the working world laid important foundations in what would become inspirational careers.

For any young person embarking on a career, let these stories be an inspiration - that with hard work and the notion to succeed, anything is possible. As Santa Barbara's youth are heading back into the school year, these stories should be a reminder that anything is possible. And hard work really pays off if you're dedicated to a life in service to others.

Lois Capps is one of the most revered citizens of Santa Barbara. Filling her late husband Walter Capps' seat in Congress following his death, she continually makes a positive impact on Santa Barbara County. Her background as a nurse has been instrumental in her service; her compassion for those she represents is unmistakable.

"My real first job was picking and packing cherries, which is how I put myself through school. But what I consider my first real paying job in my profession was when I finished nursing school and was employed as an Assistant Junior Instructor in the School of Nursing at Emmanual Hospital in Portland, Oregon. I had just graduated and was teaching beginning nursing students. I remember the transition, because I had just graduated myself. I wasn't much older than my students and so I really related to them. And I had the enthusiasm for the job and the way I related to them made the job so satisfying. It was an inspiration to be at the forefront of those who were as enthusiastic as me and we all shared the same ethics for the job. My enthusiasm for the nursing profession has translated into my public work and into helping people over all walks of life."

Gabe came to Santa Barbara three and a half years ago from San Diego after receiving a job offer from KEYT. He wears many hats at KEYT, producing the news while also serving as the anchor and doing the weather. Wine has become a passion of his since moving to the area and he does a weekly wine show on KEYT's 1250 am radio.

"My first job was at a pharmacy in Pacific Palisades, the southern California town where I grew up in. Ever since I was a little kid I was convinced I was going to be a doctor when I grew up...an ob-gyn and pediatrician. So when I was around 16 I got a job at a behind-the-scenes look at drugs, prescriptions, doctor appointments, etc. But instead spent more than two years in the retail of the pharmacy, blowing up party balloons, helping women pick out perfume gifts and making sure all the greeting cards were in their appropriate slots. I did get to meet a lot of people and by the time I graduated UCLA and had been accepted to several major medical schools my love for medical had waned. I was a nomad for about six months much to my parents horror, and finally applied to journalism grad school at USC. My first journalism job was as a news writer for the ABC affiliate in San Diego, then as producer here at KEYT. I have, in the last 3-1/2 years, graduated to weathercaster, anchor, reporter, executive producer of our morning show, and producer/host of my weekend wine show."

"When I was a young boy I had no idea what New Years Day was. I had no idea of it, because my family owned a grocery store and I was, from the age of ten on, in charge of inventory, which we did every New Years Day. I was also in charge of oiling all the floors, which were hard wood, and that happened right after we took inventory. I have great memories of that time. The store was sold to Smith's Food King in 1975 and stood where Nordstrom's is now," Peter Jordano, Owner of Jordano's.

"Cam" Sanchez has been our city's police chief for that past two years, having moved his family to Santa Barbara from northern California and he's happy to be back in southern California and in particular Santa Barbara. His wife Olivia and his four daughters have made him promise to never move again.

"My first job was when I was seven-years-old. My mom went to the unemployment office where she always struggled because she could not speak English. Well, just about everyone else there (clients) had the same issue. And you guessed it, none of the employees spoke Spanish. I spoke English and Spanish, so a gentleman (Supervisor) stood in the middle of the large office and asked if anyone spoke both languages. Since I did, at seven, I volunteered. I interpreted for several people who had issues and concerns. My pay was one dollar per client. The big man sat me on a desk and people would step up and give me their words in Spanish and I would interpret. I believe I did it for a couple of hours at least. I have never forgotten that day. I remember afterwards my mom beaming. That was what I remember most. She still reminds me of that day. There was a small hamburger stand across the street we always wanted to try, on that day we did. I paid for lunch."

"My first job was at the Fish Enterprise here in Santa Barbara. I was fifteen-years-old, but I lied and told them I was sixteen so I could get the job. I started out in the kitchen and worked my way up to cooking. It was a great atmosphere, very fun. I loved being around the people every day who were coming in basically to have a good time. That planted the seed for my becoming a chef. I never wanted to do anything else. Around that same time I also had a part time job at Captain Video. But my job at the Fish Enterprise was great. I have great memories of it," Charles Fredericks, Chef at Bouchon.

Chad Stevens is the young, ambitious restaurateur best known for opening Chad's Restaurant ten years ago. He is also happily married, with two young sons, whom he loves to cook for. Baby Cole, born September 1st, will have to wait awhile to sample dad's good cooking.

"My first job was in the restaurant business, not surprisingly. I was a dishwasher at a restaurant up in northern California. It wasn't glamorous but that's typically how people get their start in the restaurant business and it gave me an appreciation for all the 'details' and how much of a team effort is necessary to make things run smoothly."

"To this day my first job and my second job have had a wonderful effect on how I work on radio and television. And neither were in broadcasting. Job number one was making quarter pounders at McDonalds. My appetite at 15 1/2 years old was big then, McDonalds was walking distance from home in Orange County and I couldn't pass up the combination of food and money. While this was going on, I didn't realize it at the time, but I learned how to be a team player, meet, greet, and serve customers of all kinds with a smile and work hard. In no time at all I quickly jumped to my second job, one of the best of my life. At Knott's Berry Farm's chicken dinner restaurant, I started serving buckets of chicken over the counter to the "to go" crowd, and eventually worked my way up to server. Knott's Berry Farm chicken dinner operation was a big, 1100 seats, 300 workers and a million and a half meals a year. Again I had to smile, work hard, juggle lots of plates and at the end of the day saw the fruits of my labor,

WILL FLEET Publisher of the Santa Barbara News-Press

another paycheck, lots of fried chicken, and many, many delicious boysenberry pies!"

William H. "Will" Fleet has been in the newspaper business for 25 years, 17 as a publisher. Before coming to the News-Press in 2001, Fleet was publisher of The Signal in Santa Clarita for 7 years. He has a BA in Journalism from Cal State Northridge and graduated magna cum laude.

"My first job was a pizza dough maker at Shakey's Pizza. I worked alone in a room smaller than most of today's walk-in closets. It was not ventilated. My biggest challenge was keeping the sweat out of the dough. I made $1.65 an hour