When Tabitha Tripp, perioperative supervisor at ECU Health SurgiCenter, was initially approached to host Project SEARCH students for internship rotations in 2021, she hesitated. Already managing a full workload, she questioned whether would have the time to mentor a student. However, recognizing the significance of providing these students the opportunity to learn valuable job skills, she decided to embrace the opportunity.
“These students are some of the hardest workers I have ever supervised,” said Tripp.
Project SEARCH is a one-year internship program for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities during their last year of high school offered at ECU Health Medical Center in partnership with Pitt County Schools. Students complete internship rotations across departments like hospital cafeterias, endoscopy, ECHO Lab, Environmental Services and more, where they learn real-world job skills like cleaning, stocking supplies and changing linens.
“Many of our graduates have gained competitive employment in our community upon graduating from the program,” said Katie Houmard, Project SEARCH instructor. “The main goal of the program is to prepare students with the competitive and marketable skills needed to transition into the workforce.”
Three years after deciding to work with Project SEARCH students, Tripp continues to get excited every time she has a student from Project SEARCH at the SurgiCenter.
“These students have become like family to us,” Tripp said. “I cannot begin to explain how rewarding it is to see how much the students grow. I am honored to take part in the growth, maturity, independence and confidence they gain during the Project SEARCH program.”
“There’s lots of different opportunities and advantages to bringing Project SEARCH into the community,” said Lisa Lassiter, director of Workforce Development, ECU Health. “We are showing the value students with different abilities bring to the workplace, fostering growth within the students and our team members. The community is also engaging with our students so they have the opportunity to see the gifts and skills they possess.”
Cindy Ferry, whose daughter Caitlyn just graduated from the program, has noticed a huge difference in her daughter after completing the program.
“The growth in Caitlyn this last year has been amazing,” Ferry said. “Caitlyn spent four years of high school learning the same things over and over and was, of course, bored. But when she started at Project SEARCH, she would jump off the bus at the end of the day and run up to tell us everything she did. She couldn’t wait to tell us what she did, what department she was in and how she got to learn new skills like making a bed or putting gloves on or creating packets for patients.”
According to Matt Fornes, program manager and job coach at Project SEARCH, both the students and hospital team members benefit from the program.
“There’s a good relationship where the students are learning the skills, and the department is learning from them as well, so they grow mutually,” said Fornes.
For Ferry, that growth can be seen in her daughter every day.
“Her growth at home is absolutely, positively astounding,” said Ferry. “The things she’s doing now that she couldn’t do before such as helping set the table and cleaning up the table at the end of the day, helping in the kitchen. She wants to help now, and a lot of times she’ll now say, ‘Mom, I can do that by myself now.’”
Caitlyn is one of nine Project SEARCH graduates from the program this year and is part of its ninth graduating class.
“This program is really amazing, and so are all of the people who run the program,” said Ferry. “They really have the kids’ best interests at heart.”