Maribelle Gamallo tried the main switchboard for one day, but once all the lines lit up at once, she knew that job wasn't for her, so she sticks to filing and handing out paychecks on pay day. At her intern position at Greenspring Village for students with special needs, she has an opportunity to try various jobs in a working environment to see what she likes.
"I like to be in the office area. I'm just not really sure what I want to do. I like working with all the supervisors," she said.
Maribelle's supervisor, Maria Reyes, the business manager at Renaissance Gardens at Greenspring Village, has "real life" things for her to do. Reyes started out in a student program herself so she could relate.
"I started out in a student program. I was out working so I could learn what I wanted to do. We try to show Merribelle what's going on here. She gets to see how expensive our phone bills are or the cost of prescriptions," Reyes said.
Maribelle is a Springfield resident and Edison High School student who participates in the "New Generations" program, in a partnership between Greenspring Village in Springfield and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Metrocall in Alexandria is another business that is involved with the program. Ginny Brennan is the coordinator at the career and transition services at FCPS.
"It's really for students with special needs. It's matching the students with the opportunity," she said.
THERE ARE THREE levels for the students to participate in. The initial level is the work experience level, which is a non-paid position where they learn general skills. Then there is a non-paid internship that is more focused, and finally the paid internship. Some can earn an elective credit as part of their work experience. It's a win-win situation according to Greenspring public relations coordinator Pam McKinley.
"They're getting exposure to the working world. I think the residents like seeing young people around here, it sort of balances things," she said.
Lisa Williams is an assistant with the school system, who accompanies the students on the work site. At Greenspring, she was overseeing five students who were washing windows on one of the walkways around the massive complex. She looked at the learning opportunities.
"To actually be out in the public, being with the other employees. It gives them the opportunity to problem-solve on their own," she said.
Students at Greenspring were in offices, the kitchen, dining rooms and doing custodial duties. All are under some kind of supervision.
"We've got students all over the place," said Judy Larsen, FCPS coordinator with Career and Transition Services.
"These groups can be all over the place, and then there's some students that are always in the same place, like Merribelle," she said.
HOLLY O'CONNER, a dietitian at Greenspring, has a couple of students working in the kitchen under her. Edison student Piset Ea was cutting melons for lunch.
"I stay here all day," he said.
O'Conner looked past the task of cutting fruit.
"It's not just doing the skill, it's being in a work environment. It's more than just cutting cantaloupe," she said.
One student, Sam Sek, a senior at Edison, was awarded the title of Employee of the Month. Sam hopes to move into the restaurant business.
"I'll probably work here for a year, then move on to another restaurant," he said.
Kera Wooten in dining services noticed the change in Sam in the last few months.
"When he first came to the program, he did not want to work in a senior center," she said.
Caroline Rodon of Springfield, also a senior at Edison, works in the medical center and the dining room. She gets clerical experience in the office and practices her public relations in the dining room, which occupies her afternoons. She gets paid for that portion of her work.
"I really like being with the residents, I feel very comfortable there. Greenspring Village offered me a full-time job, I'm going to take advantage of it," she said.