Michael began attending The VIP Academy High School at Easter Seals three years ago. He was painfully shy and lacked direction on future employment opportunities. With the rate of unemployment DOUBLE for people with disabilities, the staff puts forth a herculean effort of preparing its students for a career.
What makes the VIP Academy unique is our Employment Services Program! Through our business partners, Michael rotated through a variety of job tasks—from customer service to office work to horticultural. These community-based experiences helped Michael develop a career plan allowing him to feel more empowered about his future. With this new found focus, Michael worked with Carolee, our employment specialist to prepare for his job search including building a resume, submitting job applications and interviewing. Just before graduation, he landed a job and started his career at Summerfield Retirement Communities!
But that’s not the end of the Easter Seals story…at the start of his new job, Michael was assisted by Carolee until he mastered his duties. In just 3 short months, he is a valued employee whose supervisor has stated that they “will never let him go”. Michael is enjoying his independence and recently called to purchase pizzas for the new VIP class!