Student Story...Finds a Job!

One of our ultimate goals of our programs here at EmpowerTech is empowering our students to live a more socially inclusive life through the use of assistive technology. We recognize the fact that some of our students will never know what it’s like to get up in the morning and leave for work, earn a paycheck, go on a break with one of their work colleagues or use their training they’ve learned here to send out an interoffice email.
But to me, as the executive director it is my private wish that they could all get a job so that they can find the fulfillment that I get working every day (well almost every day) in the position that I have at an organization I love.

Last week my private wish came true for our student Max.

Many of you have met Max our chatter box, with a huge vocabulary that he uses to greet all that walk through our door. Max is known for his inquisitive questions about everything (and I mean everything), he is also known in our program as one of our mentors as he caught on very quickly to MS Office Suite and likes to help his classmates. Max is a complete Southern Californian “dude” with the surf attire and sense of humor all his own. I am always kidding him that he never send me any emails of his work like some of the other students do, he jokingly replies, that it’s on his to-do list.
Last week as I was looking through my inbox I saw an email address that I didn’t recognize, to my surprise and delight it was from Max.
Here’s our email exchange.

“ Hi,
I will be working at 20th Century Fox Entertainment near Century City Mall. I start sometime in the middle of June, but I don't know what day in June yet. Rachel from Best Buddies will give me my start date. As soon as I find out what day I start, I will let you know. She is going to try to work around my schedule.
I will be printing 6,000 emails a month, filling different papers and attachments. It will be a fun job for me. I was very excited that I got the job.

Best,
Max”

“Max, you have come a very long way with your computer skills. I am very proud of you and the work you are doing. You will be a great addition to the team over at Century Fox

Be well,
Joan”

“I bet I will do a nice job.”

Please join me in congratulating Max on his new job!