2003 Testimonials
As a result of DMD, a young person with a disability who was mentored at a major corporation headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, was offered an internship at that site.
In Watertown, New York, two participating mentors actually used DMD as a time to interview candidates for a job opening they needed to fill.
A DMD participant in Wichita, Kansas, who was mentored by an animal caretaker, received a job at the Sedgwick County Zoo.
A mentee who spent DMD at City Hall in West Hollywood, California, is now employed there full-time, thanks to DMD.
A mentee was mentored, at her request, in a faith-based social service program in Boise, Idaho. As a result, she was given a paid-internship opportunity while attending graduate school, as well as employment possibilities in church-related social service programs.
As a result of DMD participation, a young man with a disability is realizing his longstanding dream of working as a Legislative Page for a State Representative in Topeka, Kansas.
Just days after participating in DMD in Syracuse, New York, a mentee was offered full-time employment. He has said that participation in DMD was a highly successful experience and that it was a contributing factor in turning around his confidence and enthusiasm.
Four different Johnson County (Indiana) employers, as a result of DMD, hired students as part of the student’s educational work programs. DMD Testimonials from past mentees and local coordinators:
"DMD was an excellent way to learn about a particular job and the needed skills to be successful. I was delighted to job-shadow at a bank, since I plan to work in banking when I complete my training.” Anita Wehrmann, mentee in West Virginia.
"DMD helped me to start the decision-making process of what I can possibly go into as a major, and gave me a choice to look at something new and different.” Holly Buckley, mentee from Arkadelphia-Clark County, Arkansas.
"DMD was awesome! As a result, I feel rejuvenated and encouraged to continue my schooling, because DMD helped me to decide the right career path.” A mentee from DeAnza College in San Jose, California.
"Given a chance, young people with disabilities will make wonderful employees, and job-shadowing on DMD allows them to actually see what they would have to do to perform on a particular job.” Mary Coody, DMD Local Coordinator, Florida.
"One of our student's mentors was so pleased with the mentee’s abilities and personality that he made the mentee a job-offer that very same day. He will be working in a bookstore.” Susan Bennett, DMD Local Coordinator, Maryland.
"DMD offered the mentee participants an opportunity to explore individual job goals, and ultimately resulted in one mentee’s job placement at a DMD host site.” Deborah Michael, Mentor, Manchester, Tennessee.
"On DMD, I mentored Zaheer Sheikh, a student at the Ohio School for the Blind. This was a fantastic experience not only for me and for Zaheer, but also for the many people who met him throughout the day. We talked about career options, and his interests and plans for college. I would like to stay in contact with Zaheer, with the hope of an internship and/or permanent placement in the future.” Mentor Frank Parisi, Columbus, Ohio.
"I am looking forward to how individuals with disabilities can strengthen our work force at the hospital – this is an untapped pool of talent for us.” Rodney Miller, CEO, Roy L. Schneider Hospital, U.S. Virgin Islands.
