Power Grid Blog
USDA Gives AAPD Internship High Marks
January 26, 2012 | AAPD Power Grid Blog Team
By Christopher Purdy, Business Development, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
Last summer, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) hosted an intern who participated in the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) internship program. I had the honor of supervising this dynamic young lady and I would highly recommend the AAPD internship program to any employer.
Not only did AAPD introduce us to a wonderful intern, they provided the support that rounded out the experience for both the intern and our organization. AAPD prepares their interns for what to expect in the workforce and provides advice and resources to ensure that those hosting internships are providing an interesting work experience and any necessary accommodations. AAPD also provides their interns with housing and plans activities to ensure they feel connected to a larger group. This helps ensure a good experience for the intern and gives them a chance to enjoy all that the community has to offer.
Our intern, Maya Ariel, was from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Maya, who happens to be Deaf, had a successful internship: helping us out on a variety of projects. As a senior at RIT pursuing a business management degree, she had the perfect background to fit our needs in marketing and business development. Maya pitched in by conducting market research, designing a brochure, and upgrading our online educational resources.
While I still don’t know Sign Language, I learned a lot last summer. There is a thriving community of Deaf employees at USDA and resources are available to help supervisors and employees hire and work with employees that have a variety of needs. One of the most valuable tools for us, were the interpreting services for those in need of Sign Language support. These services are free of charge for federal agencies and available to all who request them.
AMS values its partnerships with diverse organizations like AAPD that enable us to identify, attract and recruit top tier talent. We encourage students to take advantage of the internship program so that they can become familiar with our agency and learn about career opportunities. After such a positive and valuable experience, we’ll definitely look for opportunities to work with another AAPD intern.
if you work in the greater Washington, DC area and would like to provide an AAPD Summer Intern with a valuable experience in a congressional office, federal agency, nonprofit, or for-profit organization, please visit our Internship Supervisor sign-up page or e-mail internship@aapd.com.
