Emily Boehl is a tremendous young woman that has spent the last three years in our Pathways to Employment program. Pathways to Employment is a transition program for students ages 18-22. The program focuses on developing students’ daily living skills and job skills to build independence.
When Emily applied to the program, we knew that she would be able to gain skills from our program, but we weren’t sure we were going to be able to meet her needs. Emily is nonverbal and can become easily frustrated when she is not being understood. She also has a startle reflex that causes her to yelp and become upset when noise levels elevate. Challenges such as these made us wonder if our program was going to be a fit.
However, the team was drawn to Emily’s sparkling personality and her family’s commitment to her success. We discussed the growth we hoped to see, the experiences we thought she would benefit from and the tools she needed to help her. We are so glad we took a chance on Emily. She brought an enthusiasm to participate, a willingness to try and a great sense of humor.
Emily has worked hard and persevered. She has learned to communicate more effectively and better manage the unexpected noises of life. As we see the end of her school career end, we are excited about her future. Emily is currently competitively employed in her community. She works 4 days a week and is independent at her job as a cafeteria lady in her community’s elementary school. She is thrilled to be earning money in an environment she loves. Once there was a girl named Emily that needed an opportunity to learn and grow. Now we have a young lady that is a contributing member in her community.
We are extremely proud of Emily’s accomplishments!