Junior Sara Adams received her first paycheck. Adams participates in School Work Study through the Department of Rehabilitation Services. The program is designed to develop employment skills and overcome vocational barriers in a work setting for those participating in the course. 

“By age 15 and a half, they can start receiving services,” Student Accessibility Services Coordinator Samantha Watson said. “Because Sara is in the Rother Program, we’re able to design her four years the way she needs it to look, and so we decided to bring her on the School Work Study.”

Adams does many different jobs around the school, including setting up the sacristy in the chapel.

“I refill the candles and put more water in the holy water font,” Adams said. 

Adams smiled with excitement as she looked at her first paycheck. 

“I was really happy to get it,” Adams said. 

Senior Dalayja Armstrong serves as a Peer Mentor for Adams in the Rother Program where she helps Adams with work during her sixth hour. Armstrong assisted Adams at the beginning of the year, but now Adams does the work almost completely independently. 

“I kind of just follow her around and make sure that she does it right,” Armstrong said. “She’ll do it, and if she has questions, she’ll ask me or I’ll just double check at the end to make sure she did it right.” 

The School Work Study program offers students valuable job experience and helps them develop practical skills necessary for workplace readiness. The program teaches students life skills like responsibility and time management, Watson said.  It gives the student someone to report to as a supervisor while also allowing them to experience work outside of the classroom.