Keturah’s mom, Kathy, is incredibly proud of all that Keturah has been able to accomplish. Keturah has experience as a page at the Iowa State Capitol, has volunteered extensive hours at the VA Hospital, and now works in the Dean’s Office for Health and Public Services at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC).
Kathy describes Keturah as “very helpful, responsible and respectful.” Kathy is grateful for Easterseals Iowa and all of the support that she has received for Keturah. At one point during Keturah’s time with Easterseals Iowa, Kathy became sick and was hospitalized for a period of time. Kathy knew that she could rely on Easterseals Iowa to support her and her family during this difficult time, and received help with her entire family.
Keturah first became involved with Easterseals Iowa in the Supported Community Living (SCL) program. The SCL program is a goal-focused program that maintains the independence clients currently have while working toward greater independence. Clients access the community in varying ways to increase their own independence such as by utilizing public transportation, grocery shopping, working out and forming meaningful relationships with peers.
After several years of being involved in this program, Keturah joined Project SEARCH. Project SEARCH is an internship program that places young adults with special needs in a real working environment, giving them skills to prepare for the workforce. The goal of the program is community-based employment for clients. Through total workplace immersion, clients experience a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training obtained through strategically designed internships.
Keturah is currently working at the DMACC Dean’s Office for Health and Public Services. Keturah has the responsibilities of administrative support, clerical work and she supervises other interns. While working in this internship, Keturah has been able to adapt to changes quickly, and works on her problem-solving skills. Keturah took the initiative to create a map showing the location of all plants in the building, to ensure interns water each one. Through the Project SEARCH program with Easterseals Iowa, Keturah has been able to learn how to text, improved her grammar and has also received assistance in putting together her resume for employment.
Art and reading books are two of Keturah’s favorite hobbies. Kathy says that she is always reading and is constantly curious about the world around her. Keturah loves to create art, and hopes to sell her artwork someday.
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