Meet Matthew!

By -

Meet Matthew, a staff member of Aramark at James Madison University's dining hall, thanks to his hard work and the hard work of his counselor, Kortney. Kortney says Matthew's interest was primarily in customer service and working with the public. 

 After assessing Matthew's skills and interests they began job development practicing interview skills and applying to jobs in Waynesboro and Harrisonburg. Due to logistical complexity with transportation and geography where he lived and attended day support, they brainstormed potential options and locations. This took a team effort with Matthew, his parents, day support, and the case manager to plan a successful placement.

 Matthew has great communication skills and enjoys talking to the public. He is determined and motivated to reach personal goals. Matthew attended several interviews to practice professionalism and appropriate communication during the interview process. After constructive criticism and coaching Matthew demonstrated growth in communication and interview skills.

 Matthew has improved customer service skills and communication with guests and students that resulted in positive communication and support from staff and students. He greets guests and students and swipes their student ID cards to pay for meals. Matthew communicates in a friendly and helpful manner with all students and helps ensure a pleasant dining experience.

Kortney continues to support Matthew in communication with his family, case worker and managers regarding important information about scheduling and changes. She also supports Matthew during busy times during his shift in case he needs assistance with high volumes of vouchers coming in as well as in receiving appropriate accommodations to increase his independence.

 Matthew has increased confidence since beginning his job at Aramark at JMU. Matthew expresses great enjoyment working in the community and interacting with students and staff. He has expressed taking on whatever his employer needs and taking on additional shifts.

In his free time, Matthew enjoys outings in the community and helping others.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts!

Kristin Is Keen On Her New Job

By Anonymous -
Image
Kristin and Nancy began working together in June of 2018. Together they then found her a job at a local Pizza Hut in September of that year. Kristin was interested in customer service, food service or animal care so finding the position at Pizza Hut was a great fit. There are limited employers in her area so they looked at the few employers that were in her area and also branched out to Smithfield. Smithfield is the closest town with employers and that is where she found the job.  Kristin is very friendly and easy going so it is easy for her to get along with everyone. Kristin is highly motivated to learn new things, which has paid off in her job as a crew member. She was hired as a Customer Service Representative, but now also serves customers and runs the register.  Upon trying to place her in a job in her area, Nancy and Kristin faced a couple of other obstacles. Kristin relies on her mom to transport her at this time and has had a very limited work history. In the...
Read more

2 billion people will need this tech by 2050: Injured vet shares the good and bad

By -
Image
Phil Swinford's house is full of tech that helps him live more independently, but he's betting it's also going to help him to walk again. (Phil Swinford plays music on his phone.Megan Wollerton/CNET) " OK Google , text Pamela ICE [in case of emergency]," says retired US Army Col. Phil Swinford from his home in the Virginia suburbs, roughly an hour's drive from Washington, DC. He's using Google Assistant on his Android phone to talk to his wife, Pam, who's working today at her consignment shop, the Copper Cricket, a few miles away. I'm listening in, which feels a little too invasive, but it's OK: This text is just for demo purposes. "Sure," Google's AI responds. "What's the message?" "Hey, babe. I love you," Phil says clearly and deliberately into his phone. "I got, 'Hey, babe. I love you,'" it speaks back to him. "Do you wanna send it or change it?" "Send i...
Read more

Vocational Counselor Position

By Anonymous -
Image
Vocational Counselors Needed in Various Parts of the State! Are you searching for a job that’s not “just a job?” Are you looking to break free from a traditional 9-5 work week? Are you passionate about helping people succeed in becoming independent? We help people with disabilities live up to their abilities!  We are looking for dedicated people to join our team in our mission to help our clients find meaningful employment. This position will primarily serve clients in the community in the Farmville , Harrisonburg , Winchester , Chesapeake , Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Manassas, Leesburg or Fairfax areas .  Our programs provide support for individuals with varying abilities in finding and maintaining successful, integrated employment in the community.  Compensation is excellent and based on experience, education, and additional applicable skills Requirements: This position requires a dedicated person to be a self-starter with great tim...
Read more

Lauren found success through Vocational Counseling!

By -
Image
Katelyn Lacy, a vocational counselor in the Central Virginia region, started working with Lauren Garrett in April of 2017.  They began by completing extensive job development training for four and a half months. Together, they worked on job interviewing skills, social interactions within interviews as well as with coworkers.  Lauren worked on distinguishing boundaries with coworkers as well as learning appropriate topics of conversation in the workplace. While Lauren has many personal strengths — she is a straightforward and friendly person— when Katelyn began working with her it was clear she wasn’t a fan of change. However, as time went on, Katelyn was able to support Lauren through the transition of finding employment, transportation, and learning communication styles with different individuals in different environments.  After this learning period and 11 interviews, Lauren obtained her current position at UVA Runk Dining Hall with Aramark as a Food Service worke...
Read more