WENATCHEE, Wash. – After completing the Stemilt Project SEARCH program, four interns are looking to find employment in the greater Wenatchee valley. For a second year at Stemilt, Project SEARCH has helped young people with disabilities secure competitive employment and prepare them to find jobs at Stemilt or in the community. This year’s graduation was held on June 11 at the Numerica Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee, Washington including speeches, a slideshow, and homemade cupcakes.
“As we close the chapter on a second year of Project SEARCH at Stemilt, I can say the presence of this year’s interns will be missed,” said Zach Williams, Stemilt’s Director of People Experience. “They bring joy to our work lives, and I know our supervisors who guided them through their internships are so proud of how far they’ve come since day one!”
Over the course of a year, interns participated in three, three month-long internships in departments at Stemilt including production, IT, human resources, repack, and the retail store. Two interns, Hadley Haggard and Cristian Judd, worked at other community organizations. Hadley’s internship was done with Eastmont School District’s Wee Wildcat program, and she set the record for participating in the most internships. She hopes to be a para educator someday. Cristian worked with Confluence Health in the food service department assisting in the kitchen.
“This crew had an outstanding performance and even when their tasks weren’t always fun, they showed up every day,” said Project SEARCH instructor Terry Brown. “We maybe had 10 absences total all year which really shows the effort and energy they put forth into the program. Each year, we select one intern to be ‘intern of the year’ and boy did they make it hard for us to choose!”
This year’s intern of the year was received by Ayden Snyder who interned at Stemilt’s Euclid packing facility doing box mezzanine and working on the packing line. His positive attitude, desire to help his team and readiness to always try something new is what made him stand out as intern of the year. A slideshow was played to show Ayden, and his team in their internships and attending multiple community events.
“The slideshow is a great visual to all the different tools, environments and people this program brings our interns to,” said Project SEARCH Transition Coordinator, Michelle Sadewasser. “We extend our thanks to all the parents who allowed us to be a part of their children’s lives because they’ve made us better people and gave us the chance to learn and grow together. Though their time with us has come to an end, we will forever be cheering them on!”
To congratulate each intern for their hard work and completing the program, Stemilt presented a backpack, water bottle, pin, and hat to each intern after receiving their certificates. Attending the graduation were representatives from the Chelan-Douglas Development Disabilities Program (CDDD,) the Development Disabilities Administration (DDA,) the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR,) Link Transit, Stemilt, Confluence Health and the Eastmont School District who were thanked for their support ad involvement in the Project SEARCH program.
“May their journey be filled with love, happiness and fulfillment,” says Williams. “Whether they find their new jobs here at Stemilt, or in the community, we wish them the very best! Not only do they learn something new during their time here, so do we. We will remember them as Stemilters for their integrity and bringing their best to the table.”
About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
