From left, first row: Melvin Villanueva, Anthony Basilio and Ethan Ferdinand. Second row: Amber Phillips, Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services; Madison Kaminski, Wyoing Valley Chamber of Commerce graphic designer; Meghan Flanagan, Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce director of operations and communications; Kris Ahearn, MyWorks work site trainer; Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown; Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO; Sara Peperno, Northeast Sight Services CEO; and David Lewis, Wilkes-Barre DPW supervisor.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
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Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, along with staff from Northeast Sight Services, Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce and Wilkes-Barre DWP, met Thursday at City Hall with three students who will participate in this year’s MyWork program, which allows students with disabilities the opportunity to gain valuable work experience over the summer.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
After Thursday’s orientation, Mayor Brown invited Villanueva, Basilio and Ferdinand to join him for a quick tour of his office. There, Brown answered questions from the three students about his duties as Mayor and spoke about his experiences as an elected official.
Margaret Roarty | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — Anthony Basilio, 20, had one last question Thursday toward the end of his summer job orientation.
“When do we get started?” he asked from his seat at the end of a large conference table in Wilkes-Barre City Hall, where he sat with two other students who were participating in this year’s MYWork program.
His remark got a laugh from the local community leaders in the room, but Basilio’s enthusiasm was clearly shared by everyone, especially the other students.
This group, it seemed, was ready to get to work.
Officially, that work will begin on July 9, when Basilio, along with Melvin Villanueva, 19, and Ethan Ferdinand, 19, will start their summer jobs working for the City of Wilkes-Barre and the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, opportunities that were made possible through MYWork, a program that connects students with disabilities to local municipalities to gain valuable skills and job experience, as well as earn some money.
The program was initially launched in 2016 by the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and last year, the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services along with Northeast Sight Services collaborated to hold one specifically geared towards students who are visually impaired or blind.
That program took place last summer in Pittston, where four students, including Basilio and Villanueva, took part in various projects around the city.
According Northeast Sight Services CEO Sara Peperno, MYWork is a great opportunity for employers to connect with students who are just entering the workforce and to see the value they can bring to the community.
It also serves as way to undo certain stigmas people with disabilities face every day.
“It helps employees see what these kids are capable of and that they don’t have any limitations,” Peperno said.
Job Responsibilities
At Thursday’s Orientation, students were given a brief overview of what to expect from this year’s MYWork program.
Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works Supervisor David Lewis explained that students would be helping to beautify Kirby Park ahead of the park’s 100th anniversary later this year.
“If you do come back the day that we have the celebration, you can say to your family, ‘I was part of this,’” Brown said.
Through working with the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, CEO Lindsay Griffin-Boylan told the students they would get an opportunity to connect with different organizations in the area, like DiscoverNEPA and the Luzerne County Visitor’s Bureau.
“We’re excited to have you on board, and we’ll be doing a couple field trips when you guys are with us so you can see some of these really cool partners that we deal with,” she said.
After the orientation, Mayor Brown gave the students a tour of his office, where he answered questioned about his own job responsibilities and what his experience has been like as an elected official.
At the end, Brown handed each student a pin that he had designed and always wears on the lapel of his suit.
So Much to Offer
It was clear that the students participating in MYWork were going to learn a lot this summer, but they brought their own unique expertise to the table as well.
Villanueva, for example, is a tech developer, something he’s dreamed of doing since he was 13-years-old. In fact, he recently pitched his idea to add customizable icons into Apple’s operating system.
Basilio and Ferdinand are tech savvy as well and both are enrolled at Luzerne County Community College studying audio visual communications.
Ferdinand has his own YouTube channel where he makes video game content, while Basilio creates inspiriting, informative content and hopes to one day form his own small business that will “help people going through a tough time.”
“I think you three gentlemen are a lot smarter than the mayor,” Brown said.
In fact, he was so impressed that he invited the students to talk with him at a later date about the possibility of volunteering their social media and tech skills to help promote his nonprofit. They seemed receptive to the idea, especially Basilio.
“If I could benefit by helping people out, that’s my goal. That’s what we’re here for. That’s what I want to do,” he said.