Krista Marie Simeone

My experience as a Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant

Hello!

My name is Krista Simeone and I am currently a senior undergraduate student at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI. I am majoring in Psychology and I have a minor in Philosophy. After getting my bachelors degree, I plan on getting my masters degree and PhD in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling, as well as Mental Health Counseling. I want to to start out my career working with physically and mentally disabled individuals as a rehabilitation counselor, helping them find employment and live independently. I would love to work for the Federal Government, perhaps with Disabled Veterans. Ultimately, I want to continue on to a career dealing with Public Policy reform regarding disability and civil rights issues. 

I am currently interning at both Disability Services for Students and Career Services for Students at the University of Rhode Island as a Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant. My duties include:

-          Recruiting juniors, seniors, and recent URI graduates with disabilities (who are registered with disability services) to interview with the Work Force Recruitment Program this October, to help them find jobs and internships with the federal government, over the summer or after they graduate.  We want at least 8 students to interview, but the ultimate goal is 11 students.

-          Taking those students to my office in Career Services in order to help them prepare for their interview. I will be walking them through the interview process, helping them set up a rhodynet account,  and based on what they have prepared and what they still need help with, I will be helping them get into contact with the appropriate Career Services staff to aide them in resume building, career assessment, etc.

-          After the students interview, I will develop an evaluation form for them to fill out describing their personal experiences. I will follow up with these students and track any progress or setbacks along the way

-     Creating a comprehensive, informative booklet about the Federal Government’s Workforce Recruitment Program and what the application process requires so that it may be distributed in both departments, as well as online.

-          Utilizing the members of my student organization Students for a More Accessible Campus (SMAC), I will be helping to build and promote the Disability Services facebook page, so that it is seen by as many students as possible.

-          Whenever Career Services has a workshop, seminar, or other public program, I will be there as an added resource for any students who may be attending who have a disability and need certain questions answered. Also, I will be promoting all Career Services events to the students I work with through Disability Services, bridging the gap between the two departments.