Andrew came to Dungarvin Oregon’s Supported Employment Services about two years ago with the desire to find a job that would suit him, and that he would enjoy. Andrew, 20, knew he wanted to work with kids, but he needed one-on-one support with job seeking, interviewing and onboarding.
With the support of Dungarvin’s Employment Specialists guiding him through the job discovery and development processes, Andrew eventually landed a position as a Teacher’s Aide at Club K, an after-school program for young children. Since he started about a year ago, he’s continued to learn, as well as get better at his job. In fact, Club K just promoted him to the position of Site Teacher.
The job coaches at Dungarvin are quite impressed with how well he’s doing!
“Andrew has progressed so much,” said Lead Employment Specialist Larissa Akin. “He’s learned all the kids’ names — which is not easy because it’s not the same students every day — and he’s building rapport with them and learning the tasks he needs to do. He’s getting a lot better at redirecting the kids on his own without prompting from us, so that’s a huge step.”
“Andrew has been open to suggestions and guidance,” said his Club K supervisor Susan Viator. “He cares about the young people we work with and never misses an opportunity to build them up. He also adds a sense of humor, which is essential when working with children.”
Andrew works 20 hours a week with kids 5 to 10 years old. The job includes setting up the Club K equipment and materials in an elementary school’s cafeteria each day, and later, taking it all down to put away. Andrew finds the job both challenging and fun.
“As exhausting as it can be, I get to meet the most amazing kiddos,” he said, adding that many people think his job is like babysitting. “It’s anything but that. You’re teaching, and you’re kind of the bridge between school and going home. The kids learn a bunch of stuff at school, and the parents can’t get here immediately, so you’re creating a space where they can kind of decompress.”
Before he found the Club K opportunity, Dungarvin Employment Specialists helped Andrew discover his strengths, skills, interests and support needs. He then moved into the Development phase, in which staff helped him find job openings and prepare for interviews.
We are proud of Andrew’s progress and the significant growth he’s shown at Club K.
Emil Rufer, Dungarvin Supported Employment Program Director
In addition to Larissa, other Dungarvin Job Coaches continue to support Andrew. They’ve helped him learn tasks, navigate conversations with the students and stay focused when struggling to do so. He’s doing so well that he’s on track to achieve “Teacher Certification” at Club K, meaning he’s experienced enough to take on more responsibilities.
Andrew appreciates the support he’s received from Dungarvin staff. “I’ve had tough days, but then I come in the door here, I say ‘hi’ to Larissa, we have a little chat, and then we get right to work,” he said.
“We are proud of Andrew’s progress and the significant growth he’s shown in his role at Club K,” said Supported Employment Program Director Emil Rufer. “We encourage him to continue building on this momentum — the sky’s the limit!”
If you or someone you know is interested in learning how you can receive support from Dungarvin in Oregon or another state, please visit us at www.dungarvin.com to learn more.