Available Opportunities
What roles are you looking to hire?
I am also interested in someone who can be an aide and a conversation partner. I am constantly looking for an aide for the weekends. The role is to go out with me in the community during the afternoons. As a conversation partner, you will communicate with me through zoom or in person one weeknight a week from 6-7pm. This would be to plan out the weekend outing.
Qualifications for this job
What qualities are you looking for in an employee?
- Be patient and friendly,
- Show up on time.
- Follow directions from me, and do everything that is required for the application process.
- College degree is required.
- Speaks English.
Application Process
How to sign up?
The hiring and application will be through the Division of Disabilities. Read the next question for further details, or check with my parents.
What is the application process like?
- If interested, submit your resume to my parents.
- We will review your application and if we feel that you’re a match, you will be selected for an interview.
- After the interview, if we think that you are a fit, you will be required to follow a 3-4 week process to fill out the application and go thru the employment requirement, which involves background check, drug testing, fingerprinting, etc.
- After completing the application, you will be hired as a self-directed employee.
Questions about the Opportunity
How does Luca travel & get to locations?
My parent drive me and the employee to the destination. During the week we will have a meeting in the evening to discuss future plans. I will tell both my parents and the employee about my plans and what I want to do. Then we go on the weekend at the scheduled time.
Do you eat, drink or use the bathroom while you go out?
I follow a consistent feeding and personal care schedule. I get fed and toileted before your shift starts. Therefore, I don’t need to go to the bathroom during the outing
Life at Mercer County Community College
How does the accommodations in high school and college help you succeed?
In college, I hired several people that served as special ed teachers. They scribed and taught me the courses. They made flash cards for exams. This helped me succeed because they helped me understand the material. They asked professors on my behalf for extended time while I focused on learning.
What accommodations do you need to inform professors that taught you?
Whenever I register for classes, I consult with Lisa, my accessibility counselor at the College. I started communicating with her after a professor was not accommodating. Both myself and my tutor felt that the professor was not being accommodating. For example, her final exam was to know 10 chapters with 100 questions, which made me upset. So, I get double time on exams and I ask for extensions on essays or homework assignments.
What setting were your classes in?
Most of my classes were asynchronous through Blackboard software except for English Composition I, Accounting 106 and Internet and Technology. Internet and Technology was held in a computer lab. The class had a small number of students. Over the course of the semester, I had to construct a practice website. We had to sign up to either Wix or GoDaddy during lab hours. The course lecture was about e-commerce. By the way, my dad setup this website for me, from buying the domain name, and the hosting. Then he initially installed WordPress as the Content Management System (CMS). I took it from there over the next few months. That was a great learning experience for me and a new experience.
What setting were your exams in?
The testing environment was different from what I am used to. In asynchronous classes, I took the tests and weekly quizzes outside of the testing center, which means I could ask for rereading, clarification, and notes. However, since I had to be on campus for the test. The testing center proctored my exams. This means that I lost the accommodation of notes. That was a struggle. The midterm exam was fifty-five questions and luckily it was all multiple choice questions. I had double time, which is important for me since I was slower than my other peers, since I don’t speak, and I use a communication device to communicate with others. However, the final exam was a little shorter than the midterm and it was open note. As part of the final exam, I had to give a presentation on my practice website. I prepared the presentation on my Tobii Dynavox communication device. I answered questions like “How does your website work?”. Sometimes, I prepare answers to the questions in advance to speed up communication.