What are some of your favorite memories from your time at the DuBois Area School District?
Dances, pep rallies, sporting events. There was always something happening around the school that you could get involved with.
Were there any teachers, coaches, or classes that had a lasting impact on you?
Mrs. Kearny and Ms. Gutowski
What activities, clubs, or sports were you involved in as a student?
Concert choir, dynamics, color guard
Tell us about your current career or professional role. What does a typical day look like for you?
I currently work for the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). I help high school students and some adults overcome barriers to gaining employment or advancing in employment. I work with high schools in the Jefferson County and DuBois area specifically. I get to work with some amazing students and other professionals in the school and community setting.
What led you to pursue this career path?
I stumbled into this career path while attending undergrad. The Office of Student Disabilities Coordinator spoke to me in great detail about the agency and all the benefits she found when she was employed through them. I did my research and knew this was a career field that would personally mean something to me. I haven’t looked back or regretted that decision since.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Seeing the individuals I work with gain employment or go onto a post-secondary setting. Being in this position allows me to see the major role I played in someone’s life, assisting them in getting to the next chapter. It always puts a smile on my face when I see the individuals I worked with achieve a goal that I helped them with. I also am able to collaborate with high schools in the area as well as other agencies to create a meaningful working relationship with the same individuals we serve.
Have you received any recognitions, awards, or achieved milestones you're especially proud of?
In 2025 I was able to recommend an employer that I worked with closely along with the individual they hired for the “PRA BUSINESS AWARD”. This award went to an employer that demonstrated achievement in recruiting, hiring and retaining persons with disabilities. The company, the individual, his mother, and myself were able to attend the awards ceremony in Harrisburg. It was a wonderful time to watch someone that had worked so hard to achieve his goal be celebrated along with the business that wanted to work with him and our agency
How did your experiences at the DuBois Area School District help prepare you for your career or further education?
Having classes with a variety of students, inclusion was a major part of my high school career, which has spread into my professional career.
If you could go back to high school, what goal-setting advice do you wish someone had given you?
Take your time in determining what your life will look like in future years. You have your entire life to work, find what you are passionate about and explore every option that you can.
How do you define success, and how has that definition evolved over time?
I always defined success as having a great job with great pay. Now, it’s both a career that I enjoy and enjoying coming to work every day. I envision myself retiring from the agency I currently work for and not wanting to leave because I thoroughly enjoy my position here.
What skills or habits do you believe are most important for students to develop while they're in school?
Communication and active listening
How do you stay connected to the DuBois Area School District community or give back to others?
I work and live in the DuBois Area school district. My career also gives back to the area in the different services we have for our customers and different businesses in the community.