Sean McCluskey was a Project SEARCH student who morphed from an overly confident teenager to a mature and independent young adult. The transition happened all within a 9 month period of time while Sean was enrolled in the Central DuPage Hospital Project SEARCH program.

Sean took the Project SEARCH program very seriously. During Sean’s first internship, Sean was a cart runner. Sean prided himself early on his speed, however, he needed to practice cart safety early on. It was great that he was fast, but he also needed to make sure he was being safe. This was especially important when Sean would approach corners in a fast manner. Sean was also frequently found texting on his phone during his first internship, and as a result, he would be coached on why this type of behavior while working was inappropriate & could potentially be harmful to others. Sean took this feedback from staff to heart & quickly changed his behavior. Sean’s ability to run carts in an effective & safe manner towards the end of his first internship allowed him to stand out to his manager, Vickie Yuskis. He was nicknamed “flash” early on by kitchen management due to his speed.

Sean went on two more internships after cart running. Sean worked in the pizza prep department and West Surgery. All of the departments had nothing but positive feedback to say in regards to Sean.

Project SEARCH staff was notified by Vickie Yuskis (Patient Services Care Manager) when a job posting for a transporter meal delivery position was posted. Sean applied right away and was hired on the spot.

Sean has been doing great since he was hired at Central DuPage Hospital. Sean has become an asset to the kitchen team, and he is always willing to work extra shifts and work in positions that are short staffed. Sean has even had the opportunity to train new Project SEARCH interns.

Sean was nominated by his peers to do the Project SEARCH 2017 graduation speech. Sean spoke in front of over 75 people. Sean wrote a poem describing his Project SEARCH journey, which he read to everyone who attended. Sean represented the Central DuPage Hospital Project SEARCH class of 2017 with pride & was a prime example of the positive impact the Project SEARCH program can have on a student who has a disability. For Sean, the experience was life changing. He not only received employment by the hospital, but he also received benefits that will help him lifelong. Sean ended his speech with so much gratitude towards everyone who helped him along the way. He perfectly summed up his Project SEARCH experience: “And sometimes you need a team to follow those dreams, and that’s exactly what project search is. We’re a team. We are an alliance. We are a team that has been shown guidance. As students, we came here looking for job experience, and now were coming out with more than just that. We aren’t slobs now, because we got jobs now.”