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Contact: Marisol Barrios-Jordan, Hillsides
Work: (323) 254-2274 ext. 254
Cell: (310) 713-8567
Local Businesses Bring Workplace Tips to Special Education Students
People Connectors Host Career Day for Hillsides Education Center
  (PASADENA, CA)— Local business members of People Connectors shared their experiences as entrepreneurs and employees with students from Hillsides Education Center, a special education school in Pasadena that provides individualized education program plans to children with a learning disability or who suffer severe emotional disturbances.
After speaking to the business members of People Connectors at one of their weekly meetings, Jackie Broxton, Hillsides director of major gifts and planned giving, sensed their enthusiasm and willingness to help the children of Hillsides and encouraged them to sponsor a Career Day. A unique networking group that not only aims at building the businesses of its members but actively seeks out and assists local organizations in need of support through fundraising and volunteering, People Connectors made the Career Day event a natural extension of their commitment to give back to the community. During Career Day, special education students were given an opportunity to learn about various career paths.
“As entrepreneurs, we wanted to not only help students know what employers might be looking for in employees, but steer them in a direction that they can be self employed, earning a living doing something they enjoy,” said People Connectors President Ron E. Payne of Infinity Financial.
“Business members of People Connectors were very engaging and seemed very interested in interacting with our students,” said Jay Bechtol, director of Hillsides Education Center. Bechtol shared with Payne some responses by the students. “‘When is the next one?’ ‘I didn't know that was a job’ was another popular response.
Many of the special education students were very happy about the positive response they received to their work on the resumes they had prepared for the business members. Each of the members of People Connectors “took the time to look at the students' resumes and provide truly constructive feedback. That was important to the students who often question their own abilities or strengths,” added Bechtol.
In addition, Bechtol shared with People Connectors that several special education students loved Sharon Rozenberg of The Shirt Lady, who encouraged them to discover potential outlets for artwork in a professional setting. “Too often they feel that their creativity is simply a hobby or a time-filler,” said Bechtol.
Career Day provided many special education students an opportunity to begin identifying their own strengths as well as areas of interest and how that could lead to employment.
“One of the responsibilities I think Hillsides has for children placed in our care is to not only do all of the wonderful things we do, but present them with options,” said Broxton. “Exposure to a variety of life careers is a wonderful way to open the door of possibility and options for the children.”
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