Spectacular Summer for DO-IT Interns!

Scott Bellman, DO-IT Staff

Although internships can happen year-round, summer is the most popular time for students with disabilities to seek internships through DO-IT. With an abundance of interested students and employers, this has been a landmark year for DO-IT work-based learning activities! This year, DO-IT internships included the following:

  • Web Developer at a web page development company
  • Technical Documentation Author at a non-profit organization
  • Technical Mapmaker at a non-profit organization
  • Web Content Editor at a web-based services company
  • Administrative Assistant in the medical technology field
  • Administrative Assistant at a non-profit organization
  • Technical Assistants at the UW Adaptive Technology Lab
  • Video/Graphic Editor at a non-profit organization
  • Program Staff Interns - eleven in all at DO-IT Summer Study 2003!
  • Technical Assistant at the UW Human Interface Technology Lab
  • Legal Consultant Intern at the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC
  • Administrative Assistant at the Federal Internship Program in Washington, DC
  • Weather Forecasting Intern at a Seattle area news station
  • Research Assistant at a biomedical health informatics company
  • Research Assistant in the computer science field
  • Software Developer at a large university
  • Computer Center Monitor at a non-profit organization

Feedback from supervisors has been overwhelmingly positive! Here are some comments we have received from DO-IT Intern supervisors:

"Her quality work was an asset to our company. Based on our experience, I would recommend DO-IT Interns to others."

"Our initial hesitancy about being able to support her physical limitations was totally unfounded. She was very articulate. Her forthright approach to her disability put people at ease and allowed us all to learn from her. Thanks to our DO-IT Intern, we now have a way to train new staff on complex database procedures and excellent technical documentation."

"It was fantastic to have him there to help us. If you are considering hiring a DO-IT Intern, stop considering. DO-IT! It will be a great opportunity for your business and for the Intern."

"I believe that she provided an awareness to our team that we all have similarities and differences and that we all bring value to the workplace. I strongly recommend other businesses to team up with DO-IT to find qualified candidates and employ people with disabilities."

"He quickly picked up new concepts and delivered production on-time or earlier. He brought a great deal of enthusiasm and commitment to the job. Other companies should strongly consider hiring a DO-IT Intern. In my experience, the result was definitely win-win for us both!"

"Thanks to our DO-IT Intern's hard work and reliability, it was a piece of cake. Working through the various research assignments I gave him, I also learned to make my training style more effective. He prepared some research that has helped me greatly in my own work. I would not hesitate to take on another DO-IT Intern. In fact, I am actually excited to get started with someone new."

DO-IT staff would like to especially recognize all the hard work completed by DO-IT Interns during Summer Study 2003. These DO-IT Scholars helped the program run smoothly and provided excellent role models and mentors for the new Scholars. For information about work-based learning opportunities available through DO-IT, contact Scott Bellman at swb3@u.washington.edu.