Q & A
What is your most endearing memory with CK so far?
The most recent one is my current student getting super excited about perseverance and winning at a difficult round of a game we invented to help him locate different car parts in the warehouse. At first, he wanted to give up out of frustration due to the difficulty, so we had a pep talk about trying our best and working through hard things, and then decided to wait until later to try again. Later, he brought it up to try again and was very determined to finish, which he did!
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
One of my favorite accomplishments is reaching a level of trust and endearment with my students that they start to look at me as a big brother to them. They know and believe that I want them to succeed in all that they want to do, so it makes me proud to see them try their hardest in the workplace.
Why do you continue working for CK?
I’ve learned so many soft skills from my experiences with autistic kids. It’s really close to my heart to gain experience with teens and learn more about autism so that I can be a better supporter of this next generation, as well as a greater ally to people of differing disabilities.
What would you say to someone considering becoming a program facilitator with CK?
Do it. You’ll learn things that will benefit you for the rest of your life and you’ll potentially change the life of someone for the better.
What have you learned about people with disabilities through working with the READY Program?
It was said in one of our job coach/program facilitator trainings that if you met one person with autism, you met one person with autism. I’ve been able to witness and understand it. Every person I meet is a new adventure too big to put in a box.