Students land prestigious internships in Washington, D.C.

July 11, 2007

To be competitive in the job market, college students need to have an internship before they graduate. Two University Wisconsin-Whitewater students, Jason Corning of Beloit and Jacob Garst of Hartford, landed prestigious internships in Washington D.C. with the help of the American Association for People with Disabilities to advance their careers in information technology.

Jason Corning: Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security

Most students spend summer internships gaining work experience and learning the ropes, but University of Wisconsin-Whitewater junior Jason Corning of Beloit is using his for a greater mission. As an intern for the Transportation Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Corning hopes to demonstrate through his work the abilities of employees with disabilities, drawing awareness to the benefits of working with and employing individuals with disabilities.

Corning, who has been legally deaf-blind since birth, has minimal hearing with the assistance of a hearing aid and can see and read objects up close. His disability strengthens his ability to take on projects that will ensure that all information technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities, reviewing TSA training materials on screening individuals with disabilities and sharing his award-winning presentation, "Look, Listen and Learn About Deaf-blindness," with other TSA employees.

As a compliance officer and disability program specialist, he works on the Web site, emergency preparation, disability awareness, information technology products, media libraries and more. He also gets the chance to work with different departments.

"I want to show other people what I can do and how I do it," said Corning. "I want to educate people on the correct way to interact with people with disabilities or anyone else different from them so that TSA can increase the number of employees with disabilities."

A junior majoring in information technology infrastructure, Corning works 50 hours a week at his internship and lives at Washington University for the summer.

"I go in early in the morning so I can get some of my own work done before other workers come in and ask me to do things," said Corning.

He said his disability doesn't affect his work at all. He gets to travel independently and decides what projects to do and when. He also is at liberty with his hours.

Corning's internship helps him in more ways than just providing work experience.

"It teaches me how to become professional and get the feel of working in an office," he said. "It also helped me make a big jump in finding a job in the future. This is the best internship I ever could have expected."

Corning has served as the student representative on the board of the Deaf-blind Education Program and really enjoys the hands-on work that comes with working in an IT department.

Jacob Garst: Office of Networking and Telecommunication Operations, Department of Commerce

Communication skills are important in every job, even those that are in the field of information technology, just ask University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior Jacob Garst of Hartford. For Garst, being able to communicate in the workforce is essential to succeeding in life, especially since he has dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult.

Garst, 21, is interning at the Office of Networking and Telecommunication Operations, which is an organization under the office of chief information officer in the Department of Commerce.

"The biggest concept I am learning here is that communication is key," said Garst. "If you don't know how, or are afraid to communicate with another individual in the workforce, then you won't make it very far."

With a major in information technology and business education, Garst is using his internship to strengthen his skills. He manages the digital network, telecommunication services and network-enabled services. Currently he is working on helping with the migration process of Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange, developing procedures to automate the Microsoft Outlook client configuration, assisting with developing and testing software packages and assisting with a project for validating computer inventories.

"I like that I am given projects that play to my strengths and weaknesses," said Garst. "For example, with my project of validating computer inventories, it wasn?t as simple as accessing a database and seeing if all the identification number matches were logged. I had to physically see the computer, which meant interacting with people I had never met before. This was a nightmare at first, but I was able to overcome it with practice."

Computers have always interested Garst and they help with his disability, so picking a major in information technology was easy.

"My disability is not the kind that you can see," said Garst. "I am not in a wheelchair, or blind or wear a hearing aid but I have difficulty in written communication. Without the use of my computer, writing is an enormous difficulty."

American Association of People with Disabilities

Both students found placement for their internships through the American Association of People with Disabilities internship program, sponsored by Microsoft. The program was launched in 2003 and is designed for college and university students with disabilities who are interested in pursuing careers in information technology. Students participate in paid summer internships in Washington, D.C.

The program's goal is to give these students the opportunity to participate in and benefit from highly sought-after internships with the federal branch to which other students have long had access. By harnessing the talent that exists among college students with disabilities, it also strives to demonstrate to public and private employers that students with disabilities are solid prospects as members of the information technology workforce.

Corning was interviewed in February by the AAPD and his information was sent to different agencies. The agency then picks which person they think would be the best fit within the company.

"There were actually two agencies fighting over me for the position," said Corning. "I am very happy that I chose the TSA. I hope to go home knowing that I made a difference."

Garst was interviewed a few times by the AAPD and his information was sent to different agencies. Garst then got to pick which agencies he felt would be the best fit for him.

"AAPD did an excellent job finding me a perfect internship and helping me in my pursuit of an IT career," said Garst.

Once internships are secured, help from the AAPD doesn't stop. The association arranges flights and housing plans for all the interns and hosts introduction seminars during the first week of arrival in Washington D.C.

"The AAPD taught us how to use the metro, how streets are set-up and how to adjust to a city lifestyle that not many have experienced," said Garst.