A graduation celebration was recently held in the Student Union for this year’s Project SEARCH interns. The nine New York City high school students with disabilities have worked at Pratt since last fall, gaining real-world employment experience and workplace skills before completing the program in June.
Project SEARCH aims to secure competitive employment for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Thousands of students nationwide participate each year through programs like the one at Pratt, which is sponsored locally by AHRC New York City and the NYC Department of Education.
Pratt began participating in the program in November 2021. Throughout the year in departments and areas including Admissions, AVI (cafeteria/dining), Facilities, Finance, Pratt Libraries, the Registrar’s Office, and the School of Design, the Pratt Project SEARCH interns worked with dedicated instructors on skills ranging from scanning and filing to cleaning and groundskeeping. Two of the graduating interns have already secured permanent employment following the conclusion of the program.
In celebration of the accomplishments of these young members of the Pratt community, here is a look at some of the interns at work on campus over the past year and at the completion of the program.
Andy Boateng and Alexis Alejo Vazquez
Cory Brown and Paul Anthony Urbanek
Alexis Alejo Vazquez receives a Certificate of Completion at the graduation celebration.
Interns celebrating graduation with Facilities Department colleagues. L-R (front row): Javier Sedeno-Cuellar, Jesus Guzman, Jesus Mejia, Alexis Alejo Vazquez, Martin Macareno, Jamel Bowe, Jesus Robles; (back row): Camillo Vazquez