When Tabitha Tripp, a perioperative supervisor at ECU Health SurgiCenter, was initially approached about hosting Project SEARCH students in an internship rotation in 2021, she was hesitant. Already managing a full workload, she wondered if she would have the time to mentor the students. But she recognized the importance of providing these students with the opportunity to learn valuable job skills and decided to accept the opportunity.
“These students are some of the hardest working students I've ever taught,” Tripp said.
Project SEARCH is a one-year internship program offered by ECU Health Medical Center in partnership with Pitt County Schools for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities in their final year of high school. Students complete internship rotations in departments such as the hospital cafeteria, endoscopy, ECHO lab and environmental services, learning real-world job skills such as cleaning, replenishing supplies and changing linen.
Nine Project SEARCH graduates from the Class of 2024 stand during a commencement ceremony at the Monroe Center in Greenville.
“Many of our program's graduates find competitive employment in their local communities after graduation,” said Project SEARCH instructor Katie Umard. “The primary goal of the program is to equip students with the competitive and marketable skills they need to transition into the workforce.”
Three years have passed since she decided to work with Project SEARCH students, and Tripp continues to be excited each time a Project SEARCH student comes to the SurgiCenter.
“The students have become like family to us,” Tripp said. “Words cannot express how rewarding it is to watch our students grow. It has been an honor to be a part of their journey as they grow, mature, become independent and gain confidence in the Project SEARCH program.”
“Bringing the SEARCH Project into the community creates a variety of opportunities and benefits,” said Lisa Lassiter, director of workforce development at ECU Health. “We're showcasing the value that students with diverse abilities bring to the workplace and fostering growth for students and team members. It also provides an opportunity for the community to engage with our students and learn about the talents and skills they bring.”
Cindy Ferry, whose daughter Kaitlyn recently graduated from the program, noticed a big change in her daughter after she completed it.
“Kaitlyn's growth over the past year has been incredible,” says Ferry. “She had been learning the same things over and over for four years of high school, and of course she got bored. But when she started at Project SEARCH, she hopped off the bus at the end of the day, ran up to us, and told us everything she'd done. She couldn't wait to tell us what she'd done, what department she'd been in, and how she'd learned new skills like making beds, putting on gloves, and wrapping patients.”
According to Matt Fornes, program manager and job coach for Project SEARCH, both students and hospital team members have benefited from the program.
Cindy Ferry, left, with her daughter, Kaitlyn, a graduate of ECU Health's Project SEARCH.
“It's a great relationship where students are learning skills and faculty are learning from them, and it's mutual growth,” Fornes said.
For Ferry, she sees that growth in her daughter every day.
“Her growth at home has been amazing,” Ferry says. “She's now doing things that she couldn't do before, like setting the table, cleaning up at the end of the day, helping out in the kitchen. She wants to help, and now she often says, 'Mum, I can do it myself now.'”
Kaitlyn is one of nine students graduating from the Project SEARCH program this year and is part of the ninth graduating class.
“The program is so amazing, and all the people who run it are so amazing,” Ferry said. “They really have the best interests of the kids first.”
Tags: digital signage, main focus
