Community-Based Work Experience for Students (Two Miles An Hour)

By Don Dubuque, Special Educator
Polson High School
and Ellen Condon, Transition Project Director
The Rural Institute

"Two Miles
an Hour:"
One Student's Work Experience

By Maclaen Burningham, Student
Polson High School

I am a sophomore at Polson High School. I started this last school year like any other year, like all other sophomores. But then I got into a job experience program with the help of Ellen Condon and Transition Project staff from the Rural Institute. This program started sometime after third quarter and when I graduate and am done with the program, I will have nine different job experiences.

The work experience program helps us get jobs for life. My classmates and teachers are participating in this program. Besides me, the teachers are Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Braithwaite, and Mr. Dubuque, who is my job coach. The students are Alicia Ruggles, Carley Lefthand Ervine, and me, Maclaen Burningham. We are getting different job experiences and our job coaches are learning how to help us find the best job for life for when we graduate from Polson High School. Here is how the work experience is going to help me after high school. It will show people that I have experience doing different work and will help me get a job for life. A job is important because it will provide me with enough money to pay my bills, food, shelter, and my entertainment.

I am working at the assisted living center for senior citizens. The first thing I do is wash my hands and roll flatware in napkins. I do this on a daily basis. Second, I follow my schedule of folding linens or vacuuming. When I vacuum, I have to be careful and only work at a pace of "two miles an hour," so I don't run into the people that live at the center.

I have to watch the vacuum cord so it doesn't pull out of the wall. The hardest part of the job is making sure the cord does not pull out of the wall, winding up the cord, and going "two miles an hour," but on the other hand things are very easy and great. It's important that I remember to watch the cord and be careful so it does not pull out of the wall. I have to watch how I wrap it and make sure the motor is turned off before I pull it out of the wall because of two safety rules that my co-worker told me: 1.) Don't get an electrical shock and 2). Don't wear down the motor to where it does not work.

What I like about the job most is getting to visit with people that I work with and the people who live there. Best of all is I to get to see my friend, Woofe, the dog and Leona Tiffany, who is the owner of the dog. She lives at the center. I also like getting a snack on Fridays after work. I think my boss Kris Wolfenden, would say I am good on the job, with flatware and washing my hands according to state health laws. I know that Mr. Dubuque thinks I am best at flatware and linens. Mr. Dubuque thinks I am very respectful towards the people who live at the assisted living center. I listen to my supervisors and anyone who offers advice that affects my safety. I know that I need to work on wrapping up the cord and trying to go at the "two mile an hour" pace down the hall with the vacuum, so I do not run over people.

Trying out different jobs now is going to help me with getting a job after high school. I can look at what I have done and decide what kind of work I would like to do for my job for life. I can show employers my experiences that I have had with different jobs when I go and apply for work and get job interviews.