 Jonathan Goble began working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) in partnership with the Greene County Board of Developmental Disabilities. They assisted him in trying out a retail position in 2016. Jonathan learned that retail was not a good fit and used the experience to think about his future.
Jonathan is autistic and struggled in high school; yet he realized he would need to further his education to find a suitable job. He enrolled at Clark State Community College to pursue an associate degree in computer science. Jonathan had great success with his classes and decided to transfer to Wright State University (WSU) to complete his bachelor's degree in computer science.
After he started at WSU, Jonathan set his sights on an internship to complete his education and add to his work experience. WSU's Office of Disability Services referred him to Maggie Mejia, OOD Ohio College2Careers Counselor. Maggie helped Jonathan with resume preparation, internship considerations, and mock interviews.
"Jonathan is motivated, receptive to feedback, and has done well in school. He had a late start looking for an internship, but we worked together to find leads. We worked on his interpersonal and interviewing skills and helped him submit applications," said Maggie.
Even though internship opportunities were limited due to COVID-19, Jonathan also worked with Dustin Schwab, OOD Career Development Specialist, to obtain phone and in-person interviews with several companies. Dustin looked at internships with OOD Employer Partners and the Ohio Diversity and Inclusion Technology Internship Program, sponsored by Ohio Third Frontier – a statewide community of experts and organizations dedicated to increasing the success of entrepreneurial business in Ohio. This program provided the opportunity for Jonathan to apply and interview with DiDacTex, LLC.
Jonathan landed a full-time, paid internship with DiDacTex, LLC. He spent the summer working remotely on application development for Android devices. This internship exposed him to multiple technologies and programming languages, including Kotlin, a variation of Java.
Jonathan shared that he was grateful for the opportunity to work closely as a team member with his supervisor. "I loved every minute of my internship. The time flew by. I had to remind myself to watch the clock and not work too late into the evening," said Jonathan.
With solid experience for his future career, Jonathan returned to WSU as a full-time student this fall. He is on track to graduate in December of 2021.
"Jonathan is driven. It was important for him to stick with it," said Maggie. "He has come such a long way and grown in his willingness to receive support. We are so proud of what he accomplished."
Visit the OOD website to learn more about Ohio College2Careers.

Alyssa Carswell returned to Thailand to teach English as a Second Language when she was hit by a car while on a scooter. She discusses her road to recovery and how she found her way to a fulfilling job thanks to OOD and Step by Step Employment & Training.
Alyssa said, “If you identify as having a disability, it can be hard to accept, but there is potential for success – there are ways around your difficulties. You just have to go down a different path.”
Tune in to episode 21 wherever you listen to podcasts by searching "OOD Works." Transcripts and MP3 files are available at https://ood.ohio.gov/Podcast.
 If you have a disability and want to work, reach out to OOD today. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors can help you explore your options. Visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536 to get started.
For trusted information on coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634). Recent additions include the COVID-19 Case Demographics Dashboard and Recommended Best Practices for Celebrating Halloween.

According to the Deaf Recovery Community, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community is at an increased risk of developing substance use disorders. Some of these reasons include communication barriers and a lack of accessible education, assessments, prevention, and treatment programs. Despite these challenges, many individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing have recovered. Watch a video by the Deaf Recovery Community as they celebrate members in sobriety while social distancing.
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