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Shana Holet

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CONNECT Interns Amazing Experience
By Shana Holet

As, I take a reflection trip back to June 22, 2006, the date the CONNECT team met for the first time at the Leaven Center (a place I feel is the most sacred place for me on earth), it is filled with every emotion a person could possibly feel.  I look back thinking everything about being a CONNECT intern is unique. Driving to the leaven Center for my third time with my mom in the driver’s seat I had no idea what to expect, even though I had been involved in CONNECT previously as a student leader. The three things I wondered about the most were:  if I would know any other people that were hired in, what I would be exactly doing this summer, and if I could do it.

I can now say I did not know any other interns, I did find out exactly what I would be doing, and I was able to do the job. The day and a half orientation to being a CONNECT intern was like the other two visits to the Leaven Center it was filled with learning experience after learning experience in an environment that sees people with disabilities as people first.

Here I learned what it means to be part of a true team! The CONNECT team is what really made this internship so amazing. I feel as if we all bonded very quickly and it did not matter in this setting what one’s disability was. This was established very quickly by learning that CONNECT is funded by the Developmental Disabilities Council. I have to say that I learned that I did have prejudice against people who have cognitive impairments due to the negative connotation that is associated with this and what society has tried to lead me to think of myself. I did not even realize this until the first day of the internship while having a discussion about the hierarchy that is even found among people with disabilities. As a team, we learned from each other.  We learned from our strengths and weaknesses, stories and experiences.

I never imagined working virtually as I have as an intern with CONNECT. I was downright scared about this, because I really did not understand how it could work until I did it. I loved the fact that I was able to set my own work schedule and work from home. Before the internship, I was not use to working 40 hours a week and I found it difficult to work 40 hours in the standard five-day workweek. I was fortunate to spread it out among seven days if needed. I still find this difficult as the last week of the internship is approaching, but it is okay. I work virtually!

One thing that is so amazing working for CONNECT is it is really understood and accepted to have to have support. After I interviewed for this position I had myself convinced that I did not get the position, because I do not drive and the largest part of the internship was willingness to travel. Yes, I am willing to travel. The catch is someone has to drive me. After my interview and being asked if I had people that I could hire to drive me I was still afraid this was going to disqualify me from the position. I am a Social Work major and I feared before being a CONNECT intern that I would not be successful, because of this fact. I was wrong about this and CONNECT has helped to build my confidence and made me realize it is okay to be a person with a disability and need supports like a personal driver. The negativity that has surrounded me and so many others with disabilities has contributed to thinking negatively about oneself. This internship I realize has helped me to see that I can do so much more then what I ever thought I could possibly do being a person with the type of disability I have.

I was challenged through out this internship in many ways and my problem solving skills have been strengthened. For example, early on in the internship my hometown Midland lost power. I realized that working virtually without, power, the Internet, and no phone is impossible; so I thought…until pulling together as a team. I was able to have a team member look up places that have wireless internet and my supervisor was able to come up with a project that did not require all the major components that make it possible to work virtually.

The encouragement throughout this internship was incredible. For example, after a very high stress trip to the 3rd Annual Disability Pride Parade in Chicago with four other members of Saginaw Valley State University Ablers Club, the coordinator of CONNECT, Theresa Squires, realized that I needed a day of rest. She told me not to worry about the Friday and Monday Reports until Tuesday and to take the day to reflect on what happened. After this experience, I was very down about how it turned out, but it was Theresa and Melinda who helped me to realize that what happened was not my fault and that I should not think that my disability was a problem.

When I started getting into the internship and trying to set up meetings with colleges and Universities in my region I was having a very difficult time until Joanne came up with an amazing script to read as we spoke to many answering machines and disability coordinators themselves.

I realize a book could be written on this experience and the things I learned, but for now the most important thing to me is I am part of the CONNECT team and forever will have this bond with Joanne Johnson, Susie D’ Mello, Mark Ewing, and Ruth Ashley as the CONNECT interns. Each day Theresa Squires, Carolyn Lejuste, and Melinda Haus helped us to see that we will make an impact even if we do not see the result right away. We ventured together on June 22, 2006 to work on CONNECT. We all made a difference and planted seeds into many people, helping to change the attitudes toward people with disabilities.

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