Geneva College to participate in Disability Mentoring Day

BEAVER FALLS, PA (10/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Geneva College is proud to be a first-time participant in Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). This national event connects nearly 16,500 students and job seekers with disabilities to thousands of employers each year. As an institution that embraces providing opportunities for people with disabilities, Geneva will welcome nine high school students to campus on Wednesday, October 17, partnering each of them with a mentor from the college community to provide career development through hands-on learning and job shadowing.

"We've begun to look at Geneva College as a small town-one that has a vast array of job opportunities for most interests, from teaching to public relations and from duplicating to housekeeping," says Christy Coulter, director of Geneva's Academic Counseling Center & Educational Support Services (ACCESS). "We're excited about this fantastic opportunity to invite high school students to our campus and share our passions with them. And inevitably, we will be impacted by our time with them."

DMD, which occurs on the third Wednesday of every October, began in 1999. Created to bring greater awareness and national attention to employment opportunities for people with disabilities, DMD gives students with disabilities the opportunity to learn about a career of their choice and to experience the workplace environment for a day.

Bender Consulting Services, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., serves as the area's regional coordinator for DMD. Founded by Geneva graduate Joyce (Ciletti '75) Bender, the mission of Bender Consulting is to "recruit and hire people with disabilities for competitive career opportunities in the public and private sectors." Bender Consulting's involvement in DMD began when Jonathan Young, who worked in disability policy in the Clinton White House, asked Joyce Bender to encourage businesses to become involved. The company's regional coordination team encourages businesses to provide mentoring opportunities, recruits students with disabilities and matches them according to career interests.

For further information on Disability Mentoring Day, click here or visit www.aapd.com.

Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College's philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).