UnitedHealthcare recently announced the names of 12 Fort Bend ISD high school students who were selected to participate in Project Search, a job training program created for students living with disabilities. Fort Bend ISD’s Special Education Department partners with UnitedHealthcare, Texana and Texas Workforce Solutions to provide the school-to-work program to help young people make a successful transition from school to productive adult life.
FBISD’s 2017-18 Project Search interns include: Joshua Berry, Bush; Ritika Bhardwaj, Kempner; Nicholas Contarell, Bush; Daniel Hall, Bush; Gary Metz, Dulles; Cody Nguyen, Ridge Point; Ileana Ramirez, Hightower; Nicholas Sparks, Austin; Sara Sugar, Dulles; Divine Tezzo, Austin; Emma Watson, Dulles; and Jacoby Young, Marshall.
During the 2017-18 school year, the FBISD interns will gain real-life work experiences as they receive onsite job training at UnitedHealthcare and learn independent living skills.
“We are very excited that our son was selected for Project Search,” said Emile and Lilliane Tezzo, parents of Divine Tezzo. “His high school teachers have been talking to us about the project for a couple of years and we’ve always hoped that Divine would be selected. Now that he’s entered the program, he will discover a path leading to his independence.”
Parent Lillian Holmes is equally proud of her son on being selected as a Project Search intern.
“When my son Daniel learned about Project Search, I noticed an immediate difference in how he presented himself,” she said. “From the second he took part in the orientation, his confidence blew through the roof. He spoke much clearer, made direct eye contact when speaking to people and started dressing appropriately – and this all happened before he knew of his acceptance into the program. The change I’ve witnessed in him and his excitement for the Project Search lets me know that he will have a great experience next year.”