A graduation ceremony and celebration for this year’s twenty-six Aerospace Internship Program (AIP) graduates was held at Emerald Downs on June 9th. Parents and guardians, school administrators, mentors, and donors were in attendance to share in the students’ accomplishments. Guest speakers Peter Johnson from Boeing and Kelsey Kaufmann from Kent Meridian High School shared thoughts about their accomplishment and offered advice on next steps after high school.
In its 22nd year, the AIP served high school students from six different school districts. The interns spent 3 hours each day of the academic year at Skills Inc., developing valuable career readiness skills while earning credit towards their high school diplomas. These students are leaving with key skills in applied math, workplace documentation, and graphical literacy. They have developed valuable knowledge, abilities, and attitudes required to be successful in today’s advanced manufacturing environment. Each are strong communicators who are ready to educate and coach their future employers if and when they may need an accommodation. Most importantly, they leave high school knowing that they are highly capable and that their disability does not define them.
Skills Inc. would like to express our gratitude to the graduates for their hard work and dedication to the program. We would also like to thank everyone that had a hand in their success including family and friends, instructors, supervisors, mentors, school administrators, community partners, and donors.
Skills Inc. is proud to support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 30th Anniversary. Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26th, 1990, this important civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.