It would be difficult to overstate how enthusiastic Gage Gsell is for his job.
The mention of every task for each part of his training program is met with an exuberant snap of the fingers and satisfied flip of the head. Does he remember his rotation at the 911 call center?
“Oh yeah!” Gsell exclaims.
Gsell, along with fellow interns Amber English, Molly Hosey and Chance Dorman graduated on Tuesday from Cumberland County’s first class of Project Search, a nationwide program designed to help people with disabilities transition into sustainable jobs and lifestyles.
“I’m amazed each day by what you guys have accomplished,” Project Search Instructor Kristy Lanser said. “Take pride in how far you’ve come and have faith in how far you will go.”
The Project Search concept was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, but has since been used by local agencies nationwide as a model to teach students with disabilities and young adults how to transition into the workforce.
Locally, Project Search programs are sponsored by Goodwill, which employs the staff needed to oversee the program. Tuesday’s graduating class was the first in Cumberland County, and to the county’s credit, all four interns were able to find paid, regular jobs after completing the nine-month program.