GULFPORT, Mich. (WLOX) – When Evan McDonald puts on his gloves and starts his shift, it’s a reminder of how far he’s come since he started Project SEARCH.
says Evan McDonald, an endoscopist and kitchen host at Singing River Health System. I was a shy child, so I didn’t talk to anyone, and I didn’t talk to my teachers either. And to this day, it’s still a mystery to me why it happened. But now I continue to accomplish great things. ”
Project SEARCH is a program run by the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation in which businesses work closely with school districts.
Singing River Gulfport Project SEARCH Instructor Amy Gresick said: The ultimate goal is competitive and integrated employment. ”
After graduating from the program last year, Evan not only works in the endoscopy department, but also as a kitchen host, making him the “golden child” of Coast’s Project SEARCH program.
Gresik said: “Evan is one of our success stories. We met Evan at an evaluation day a year and a half ago. His communication was lacking. He was struggling in quite a few areas. We saw potential in him. We saw where his weaknesses were and where his strengths were. We saw three different things that made him really challenging. I was able to participate in an internship.”
Evan has improved so far and is now teaching the staff working in the endoscopy department a thing or two.
Tiffany Nelson, endoscopy manager at Singing River Health System, said, “We learned that Evan was afraid to ask too many questions, just wanted to know the procedure, put his head down, and took care of himself. I watched him grow from a very shy young man who tried his best to do his job.” Be a highly charismatic and entertaining team member who gets the job done. ”
Walking through Evan’s day in the life of working at Singing River Health System and overcoming challenges, it’s clear that there is a community that supports not only Evan but the other Project SEARCH interns who come along.
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