Jonathan Finds Success through Ohio College2Careers

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Jonathan Finds Success through Ohio College2Careers

Info graphic: featuring photo of Jonathan Goble and quote " I loved every minute of my internship,"

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.

OOD Works Podcast: Alyssa Carswell, Classroom Behavior Therapist

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.

OOD Continues to Assist Job Seekers

Info graphic showing young woman with hearing aid at computer and text: In past 27 weeks, we have placed 2,307 job seekers

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.

Trusted Coronavirus Information

Graphic image of test tube with word coronavirus on it and red illustrated cells in the back ground

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.

All About Accessibility: Deaf Recovery Community

photo of African -American man holding an Alcoholics Anonymous book

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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Programs provided by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) are funded, in whole or in part, with federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), OOD received 78.7% of its funding through the DOE VR grant. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019, OOD received $99,548,657 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $26,942,648. Of these federal funds, $14,932,299 is set aside for Pre-ETS. For purposes of the Supported Employment (SE) Program, the DOE SE grant funded 90% of the costs for the Supported Employment for Youth with a Disability Program up to the grant amount and 100% of the costs of regular Supported Employment program costs up to the grant amount. In FFY 2019, OOD received $297,857 for SE Youth with a Disability and State appropriated funds paid a small amount more than the remaining 10% or $33,192 of the total costs. In FFY 2019, OOD received $297,857 in regular SE grant funds. For purposes of the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Program, the federal grant received from DOE in FFY 2019 paid 90% of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2019, OOD received $1,153,208 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% required match or $130,000 of the total costs incurred under the OIB program.For purposes of the Independent Living (IL) Program, the federal grant received from HHS paid 90% of the total costs incurred in FFY 2019. In FFY 2019, OOD received funding of $640,571. Funds appropriated by the State paid 10% or $71,175 of the total costs incurred under the IL Program.