Henry Kallhoff is going to work in a lab.
Travis Daniel is going to be a courtesy clerk at a northwest Omaha Hy-Vee.
And, Mikeala Gause has been hired as an environmental services worker here at the medical center.
Kallhoff, Daniel and Gause are three members of the medical center’s Project SEARCH class that graduated on May 15. Of this year’s 12 graduates, nine already have gotten job offers, and Project SEARCH instructor Chris Miller is hopeful the three remaining grads will be employed before the end of the summer.
Family members, mentors and co-workers packed the ceremony as each graduate took a turn on the stage, detailing their internship experiences and thanking those who had helped them complete the program.
“It was a fun job, and I love the pay,” said graduate Travante Johnson of his work in the Clarkson Tower dish room. “But, mostly, I love the staff down there.”
They loved him too, apparently — Johnson was hired to continue working with his friends at Clarkson Tower even before graduation.
Pam Johnson, whose daughter, Brittney, has a job at Mutual of Omaha beginning in June, said they had heard a lot of good things about the program and were happy with Brittney’s experience.
“She’s gained a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “She speaks to people — she always talks about how she enjoys talking to co-workers, even though she’s always been kind of quiet. It’s really helped her get more confidence and be more outgoing.”
“She liked working in the two cafes, doing food prep, and taking care of the salad bar — cleaning it, stocking it,” said Brittney’s father, Loren. “She enjoyed that.”
In addition to building confidence, the program builds a community.
“All of the interns build real, lasting relationships with their mentors as well as with staff,” Miller said. “They are set up with adult services and clubs if they don’t already have them. The students naturally build a network of both professional and personal relationships during Project SEARCH that promotes a culture of inclusion.”
Tim Mueting’s son Brian, who interned at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI), has secured an office job.
“We wanted him to have an opportunity to develop skills, to develop his independence, and to develop his own personality,” Mueting said. “When we started last spring to go through this process, we were very excited, because Brian wanted to develop his own skills as well, so that he could get a paycheck. He wants to make money so he can develop videos and multimedia — he’s very talented. This is an opportunity for him to reach some of his dreams.”
Melonie Welsh, community engagement director for MMI, said Project SEARCH is an important initiative for the institute.
“We were very excited to be an internship site as well as a program collaborator,” she said. “Project SEARCH offers an exciting opportunity to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and MMI is proud to be part of this effort.”
The May 15 event marked the fourth Project SEARCH graduation at the medical center, and Miller is excited to see where the students go from here.
“Project SEARCH lasts only one school year, but today is the beginning of what these students have been working toward,” he said. “This is what they’ve worked so hard for — making money, getting into employment slots, and starting that path as a professional, as a productive member of society.”
Congratulations to all of the graduates!!! Your hard work has paid off!