What I did on my summer vacation!
by Jonathan Lanteigne
From the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire (www.bianh.org) Headway Newsletter. Jon writes a regular column for the newsletter.


I have never had a summer vacation. I always take summer classes to help me stay on track with my education. This provides me with an easier transition when the fall semester begins in September. However, this summer was different and was a very interesting and rewarding time for me. At the beginning of the year, I had applied for, and was notified that I was awarded a federal internship to work at the National Science Foundation (NSF) located in Arlington, Virginia for the summer of 2006. The internship program was brought to my attention by the TRIO/Student Support Services at New Hampshire Community Technical College in Manchester, NH and from my counselor at New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation Center. Throughout my internship, I put to practice what I learned from college after completing my Associates degree in Computer Technologies in May 2006.

The Information Technologies Internship Program is sponsored by Microsoft and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). I was one of 10 applicants from the entire United States awarded entry into the Microsoft-AAPD program. AAPD offers internship programs for college students with disabilities to work in assignments in Washington, DC. The interns work in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government and in various federal government agencies to gain real world work experience as well as valuable employment contacts in the federal sector and disability community. 

The first couple of days were exciting, busy, and full of new experiences. I unpacked my suitcases and set up all of my electronic devices including my laptop, PDA, printer, and various other items that I brought with me to George Washington University (GWU) where I lived in my own apartment for the summer. I quickly realized that moving into a strange and unfamiliar neighborhood was not an easy task. There was a list of items that needed to be accomplished upon arrival and each one was at a different location on campus. This internship not only helped me learn new IT tasks, but also taught me about being independent and relying on myself, because I was in an unfamiliar place without assistance from parents, teachers, or friends. 

I had to use the Metro subway system for transportation from my apartment, to work, and back and I applied for a Metro system fare disability pass. Since I arrived a few days early, I used the Metro to take practice runs to my new workplace each day so I could get an idea of the average time for transportation during rush hour. Doing this made me feel very comfortable with the area and ready to go to work. 

NSF has previously participated in the Microsoft-AAPD Federal I.T. Internship Program and is aware that specific accommodations might need to be made in their workplace for persons who have a disability. I had many duties while working at NSF. All of these assignments related to my area of study and included computer programming, upgrades, and equipment repair. I attended weekly meetings and provided NSF, AAPD, and my college professor with feedback on what I had accomplished each week. I also received input from the teams on what I did or did not do correctly. Receiving constructive feedback was one of the most rewarding experiences of the internship. I was not treated as a visitor. I was treated like any other employee of their organization. I was told when my assignments went as planned and when things did not go the way that they should have. The team gave me the tools that would allow me to succeed in my next assignment.

What I gained from this internship was the ability to actually apply many of the learned skills from my college studies and the customer support skills from my part-time job here in New Hampshire. Now I plan to continue my post-secondary education and then progress into a meaningful full-time work setting. During the internship, I had the experience of exploring opportunities that I would not have previously considered, but I now realize are available for me to pursue. I was able to practice skills in a real work setting to see what my career preferences are, and to narrow my focus when I consider future possibilities for a particular type of professional position.

I have found that I have the ability to work on tasks that, in the past, would have been beyond my technical or physical ability. In the past, I would not have even attempted to work on something that I was not familiar with. However, as I found out during the internship this summer, a person is only restricted by what they do not want to try! As I have said in past columns, know your resources and work with them in order to find opportunities for yourself. Do not be hesitant to ask them for assistance. Do not be hesitant to try something new. Believe in your abilities and what you can accomplish, and tell yourself, I can do more, just give me the opportunity!