Arc clients graduate from internships with Beck Automotive Group
-
Photos by Sarah Cavacini/Palatka Daily News. Arc skills trainer Patty Dame holds Project SEARCH graduate Frank Koehler's hand in a triumphant grip as they both celebrate Koehler's graduation from a nine-month internship program at Beck Automotive Group.
Cheers from family members and supporters filled the Beck warehouse Friday as a group of eight interns from the Arc of Putnam County celebrated their graduation date and threw their caps into the air.
Friday marked the end of a nine-month internship for the Arc members where they worked at the company in all different departments from information technology to customer service.
The best part of the program, known as Project SEARCH, for Graduate Sara Flynn was overcoming her shyness, she said.
Project SEARCH works with adults with disabilities and trains them to be hired for jobs, according to the program website. In Palatka, Beck Automotive Group onboarded eight constituents from the Arc as interns for nine months.
“It’s great for the first time,” Flynn said about the program. “I think they can do good next year, too.”
The class of 2022 Project SEARCH was:
- Zachary Cothron
- Corey Davenport
- Sara Flynn
- Tavon Kemp
- George Kininmonth
- Frank Koehler
- Amanda Seeley
- Bradley Waldrop
The eight interns were able to work for Beck Automotive Group with the help of Arc instructor Ashleigh Day and Arc skills trainer Patty Dame who taught trained the interns for jobs with the company. Drivers from Putnam County’s Ride Solution also made sure the interns got safely to and from their locations throughout the nine months of their internships, Arc officials said during the graduation ceremony.
But it is not a goodbye for every intern because three of the graduates – Kemp, Kininmonth and Koehler – were offered jobs at Beck, said Melissa Miller, the Arc’s CEO.
Beck Automotive Group President Breck Sloan called Project SEARCH a unique opportunity for the company and a first.
“I can’t believe it’s been nine months ago already,” Sloan said to the graduates. “You all were our frontline (employees) and represented us with professionalism and pride.”
Sloan, who has a hearing loss disability, told the interns that they can take their disability and turn it into a superpower. Other Beck employees said seeing some of the interns always brightened their day and others added that they are going to be missed now that their time is gone with Beck Automotive Group.
“I’ve seen all of your flourish in your zones of genius,” Sloan said.