ACCESS Sharks Program Helps Students With Disabilities Gain Work Experience
Liliana Ramirez knows firsthand the struggles students with disabilities face.
Her daughter, Anakarina, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When she was in the veterinarian technician program at Medical Campus, she needed extra time for exams and one-on-one tutoring.
After earning her associate’s degree in veterinary technology from Miami Dade College in 2020, she now works as a veterinary technician at a clinic in Miami-Dade County.
Inspired by her daughter’s success, Ramirez launched the ACCESS Sharks Program two semesters ago to provide opportunities for students with disabilities to thrive in the workforce.
The initiative is geared toward helping participants gain hands-on work experience. It’s based at the North Campus Learning Resources department where Ramirez is an associate instructor.
Students in the program shadow library staff to gain soft skills such as answering phones, greeting guests, making copies and organizing books. The hours completed in the program can be logged as service hours on the MDC Changemaker Hub.
“I wanted to create something to give [students] the opportunity to learn skills that they will need later on when they’re looking for a job,” Ramirez said.
To be eligible for the program, students must be referred by ACCESS: A Comprehensive Center for Exceptional Student Services at North Campus, a program that provides services such as notetakers and interpreters for students with disabilities.
The project also accepts referrals from MEED: Model for Enhanced Employment Development, a program at Wolfson Campus that assists students with disabilities seeking internship and employment opportunities.
ACCESS Sharks is an eight-week program that can be extended to an entire semester at the student’s request. There are no minimum or maximum hours required.
This past summer, Keyandra Summerville, who uses a walker, was the first to complete the program. She learned to shelve books and assisted visitors to the library to check out resources such as DVDs and headphones.
Summerville, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business supervision and management from North Campus last year, lauded the initiative for providing a friendly and accepting work environment.
“[This program] is important to me because I know that it specifically provides opportunities for individuals with many different abilities,” Summerville said. “I want to put myself in a position to do the best I can to open the door for others.”
Walter Guevara, who has Asperger’s syndrome, also participated in the program this past fall semester.
Before enrolling in the program, the 32-year-old said he was shy and had a hard time communicating with others. Now, he has improved his leadership, verbal communication and problem-solving skills.
Guevara, who earned a bachelor’s of applied science in film, television, and digital design technology from MDC in the spring of 2022, created a short film—My MDC Day—to assist the program’s recruitment efforts.
“What I enjoyed most about the ACCESS Sharks Program was that I could be more comfortable actually talking with people and not be afraid,” Guevara said. “[It gave] me the strength to be a little bit more sociable, more engaging and more communicative.”
To learn more about the program, contact Liliana Ramirez at (305) 237-8046 or at lramire1@mdc.edu.
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