August marks the end of the summer session for the DDS Urban Youth Collaborative Program. The 2023 Urban Youth Graduating Class included:
- Rose Fuegue, Intern Peer Leader & Clinical
- Miguel Camargo, Marketing
- Annette Forchoh, HR & Day Program
- Alice Obare, Strive2Thrive
- Julia Sebilian, Safe Minds Community Center & CBDS
- Gabrielle Victor, Strive2Thrive
- Anna Yang, CBDS
- Anna Wang, Safe Minds Community Center & CBDS
As always, it is an honor to welcome representatives of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to Omni Way for the annual graduation ceremony. DDS Commissioner Jane Ryder joined us along with her DDS colleagues:
- Gerald Scott, Recruitment Manager
- Tom Marshall, Area Director, Lowell Office
- Beverly McGovern, Assistant Area Director, Lowell Office
- Kelley Lawless, Regional Director, Northeast Region
This occasion was especially important because it marked the end of a new format for the UYCP, led by Community Recreation & Engagement Manager Brian Etheridge. This was the first summer where the program branched out of the day habilitation program, allowing students to also explore administrative departments at Incompass. In some cases, interns were able to split their time between two programs.
UYCP intern Julia Sebilian gave a heartwarming speech about her time in the program, the connections she made with fellow interns, and the impact individuals had on her. She was inspired by her observations while working in the Safe Minds Community Center, a new brain injury program offered at Incompass. Once she finishes graduate school, she hopes to get into program management in a human services setting. Hopefully with Incompass!!
The ceremony wrapped up with students presenting their legacy gift – a yearly tradition. Interns collaborated with participants in the day programs to create a beautiful art project. The marketing team nearly jumped out of their seats when they realized that it was a collage of art pieces forming the Incompass heart graphic. What a way to end the program! As always, we hope to welcome back these familiar faces next year, along with new ones. Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Urban Youth Collaborative Program. Learn more about the program here.
