Disability Mentoring Day

Dave Steele, manager of a Safeway in Aberdeen, WA, and mentee Daniel Spearline, courtesy clerk at that Safeway, jointly gave a presentation on DMD to a group of employers and 70 transitioning students from the local school districts. They talked about the positive aspects of a good work ethic and the likes and dislikes of their jobs.

In Anchorage, Alaska, Disability Mentoring Day was held on October 31, and there were wonderful Halloween themes incorporated throughout the "Career Exploration" day. Participants included 50 students from 7 schools and more than 20 employer mentors, including the Anchorage Fire and Anchorage Police Departments.

Mentees from Gallaudet University and the Kennedy Institute were hosted at the U.S. Department of State on 2003 Disability Mentoring Day. Their unique opportunities and experiences that day included a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell in his office.

Randy Yngve, Jason Cosper, David Kuehl, Robert Dickenson, and Matt Francis tour Bunzl Extrusion of Yakima, Washington where Frank Hieber describes the plastic manufacturing process and demonstrates how the parts are degated

Lauren Calvert, a Cocoa Beach, FL high school student, spent Disability Mentoring Day of Brevard County with Antoinette Prisco (left) of Antoinette Unique Interiors. Her DMD experience included participating in a consultation visit to a client's home.

In 2003, Disability Mentoring Day reached across the waters to many international locations, including Kosovo. This photo shows DMD in the Mitrovica region, which had 75 participants, with speakers that included the Minister of Labor and Minister of Social Welfare. Their theme: FOCUS

On October 15, W. Roy Grizzard, Jr., Ed.D., Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, welcomed Washington-area mentees and mentors to a 2003 Disability Mentoring Day reception at DOL headquarters.

Roslyn N. Dickerson, Vice President, Global Diversity for Honeywell, a Lead Sponsor of 2003 Disability Mentoring Day, speaking to mentees at the October 15th kick-off event at the U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, DC.

Ebony Spruel (right), a Jewish Vocational Services client in San Francisco, CA, spent her day at Salesforce.com, where she shadowed Courtney Pleas (left).

Mentees spent the day at the Hillsborough Community College Fire Academy in Florida. These mentees are Hillsborough County Hill School/High Tech students.

Student - Christian Alvarado from the Fulfillment Fund &
Mentor Mitch Pomerantz, ADA Compliance Officer from the City of Los Angeles Department on Disability

Student - Daniel Lee from Asian Rehabilitation Services
Inc. (left); Mentor - Homer Post (middle) showing off their cool Disability Mentoring Day 2003 baseball caps sponsored by Northrop Grumman.

David Hanson, Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, speaking to mentees participating in the Disability Mentoring Day events in Chicago at a morning reception.

A young mentee, who participated in 2003 Disability Mentoring Day in Chicago, attended the afternoon session hosted by the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, and shared the highlights of her job-shadowing and DMD experience with other mentees.

US Cellular was a proud participant in 2003 Disability Mentoring Day and a National Corporate Sponsor.

Victoria Custer, a student from Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, ID, spent 2003 Disability Mentoring Day at the Skyline Animal Clinic.

City of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley shaking hands with Matthew Sapolin, Executive Director of the City of New York Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

Victor Figueroa, age 17 and a junior at Lane Tech, participated in DMD in Chicago, and was personally greeted and welcomed to City Hall by City of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

PRIDE Industries was a setting for Disability Mentoring Day in Sacramento, CA, with 23 students from 5 schools participating. Brad (right) was a mentee whose brother-in-law works for UPS, and Brad has always wanted to work in the same environment. So, on DMD, he was afforded that opportunity -- he spent time with his mentor who is a warehouse worker at PRIDE Industries. Brad is shown operating a pallet jack and preparing to help load a truck with product.

Disability Mentoring Day was held at Sprint headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Shown participating are: Theresa Barr, Sprint; Ollie Cantos, AAPD's Director of Programs, who spoke at the Kansas City event; Gerald Beechum, University of Missouri, Kansas City; Scott Laurent, University of Missouri, Kansas City; (seated) Elizabeth Reinert, Missouri Governor's Office on Disability.

Jerry Squires from Hewlett-Packard in Boise, ID, with his mentee for the day, Rich McCuskey.

Pam Riley, a student at Midland High School in Midland, MI, enjoys the
friendly welcome she receives from her Disability Mentoring Day mentor, Cheryl Wade, and Cheryl’s guide dog, Scout. Cheryl is a reporter for the Midland Daily News, and Pam is interested in writing as a career.

Mentor Frank Parisi, of Huntington Bank in Columbus, OH, works with his mentee Zaheer Shiek, a 12th-grade student at the Ohio School for the Blind, and explains his daily job tasks.

On DMD in Ft. Myers, Florida, mentee Tommy Scott spent time at Clear Channel Radio with D.J. "007" (right) and program manager Ron Shepard (left).

In Evanston, WY, Catherine, a mentee who had expressed an interest in becoming a veterinarian technician, spent Disability Mentoring Day with Shelly, a veterinarian technician at the MJB Animal Clinic. Catherine was even able to participate in a surgery and was taught how to give a penicillin injection. “I used a hemostat to hold the tumor.” Catherine is planning to attend vet tech school in Torrington next year.

Mentee Greg Slack (right) spent the day with mentor, Chef Tim, executive chef at Parrish Medical Center in Florida. Reports Greg, "I learned a lot about how the hospital feeds and delivers food to patients, workers and the public, and how they buy new foodservice equipment, price food correctly, and cook and serve the food daily. I think it was a great day and I learned a lot from the experience - it is something I'd enjoy doing again."

A large number of students throughout West Virginia participated in Disability Mentoring Day, including these students from the Charleston area, who were honored by local coordinator Gene DeFabio of the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services. A bit later, on October 20, they had the opportunity to share their impressions of their DMD work experiences at a ceremony.

In Louisville, Kentucky, 30 students and job seekers participated in Disability Mentoring Day, which was held at the Norton Healthcare Building. Mentees learned about career opportunities in nursing, customer service, culinary arts, sports medicine, law enforcement, information technology, public relations, and other areas.

In Kansas, mentee T. J. Powell (L) spent time on DMD with Kansas State Representative Jim Morrison.

Pictured here are students from Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Florida participating in 2003 DMD at City Hall in downtown Jacksonville.

Statewide DMD was celebrated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in early October. Every county in Pennsylvania except three participated. A proclamation was issued that day by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. In addition to on-the-job mentoring, the two-day event also included plenary and panel sessions, breakout sessions focusing on Competitve Employment or Post-Secondary Education and Training, and a dinner dance. Here, some of the participating mentees and their parents are gathered on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol at the conclusion of the event.

Disability Mentoring Day was celebrated at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida. Mentee Jason Hopkins (right) shadowed Gabe Gabrielle of SGS, Inc.; acknowledging Jason's love for auto mechanics, Mr. Gabrielle arranged for him to observe and meet with their master mechanics. Other mentee participants shadowed various professionals, including engineers and technicians in the Prototype Lab; the Kennedy Space Center's Disability Coordinator, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Guest Services Manager.