The Bosco MSU/MRS Careers Collaborative is a partnership between the MSU RCPD, MSU Career Services Network (CSN), MSU Rehabilitation Counseling, and Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) that focuses on career transition for students with disabilities. As a program that explores the development of professional skills and effective communication, the Careers Collaborative works to assist students in securing high-quality employment. While facilitating this transition, Careers Collaborative has recently provided internship opportunities to students--interested in Rehabilitation Counseling, Psychology, Special Education, Disability Studies, or other related fields--for the support of the RCPD.
Careers Collaborative interns conduct many projects, such as upholding the Desire to Learn (D2L) website for the Collaborative, launching the MSU RCPD Connect page, and maintaining MSU records in the Michigan Rehabilitation Service database. As a liaison between students and career development, interns work closely with students to coordinate their needs with other colleges and university entities, such as the Student Veteran Association, the LBGTQ community, or the student chapter for the Society for Human Resource management.
As a Careers Collaborative intern, also known as a Vocational Support Services Specialist, students are given the opportunity to work with students who wish to further their careers.
One intern, Abbey Moran, shares: “My biggest take away would be working for the first time in academia. I really enjoyed working with an innovative team and creating resources to support student with disabilities on campus. I also enjoyed being a project lead and doing research on various topics and concerns relating to persons with disabilities. It helped me in my own educational pursuit in the Rehabilitation Counseling field.”
With the Bosco MSU/MRS Careers Collaborative internship, student specialists have the ability to work closely with Karin Hanson, Director of Employer Relations and Communications for Career Services, to greatly improve and integrate career services and resources already available. Whether they are leading a project or creating new curriculum, student interns are devoted to invoking change and finding solutions for pressing issues concerning students with visible and invisible disabilities.
“I hope to see us soon hiring a new MRS counselor! We are excited to again have a dedicated counselor for RCPD students to meet with and develop their career goals. Next year, I'm also hoping for us to increase available resources for students through workshops and online materials, and continuing partnership with the Career Services Network peer advisors,” expresses Kelsey Foote, RCPD Ability Access Specialist.