Ebony has just hit another work anniversary and has officially been part of the Quest, Inc. team for 16 years! We are so grateful for all of her hard work and we are proud to be part of her professional journey. In honor of her work anniversary, we wanted to highlight her many roles as a valued member at Quest.
In her 16 years with Quest, she has worked in various positions and had different titles. In 2005, she worked as a Direct Support Professional. In 2007, she worked at Quest, Inc. – Training Center Orlando as a Direct Support Professional Lead. She has been with the Project SEARCH program since 2010. She was the Quest Enclave Crew Supervisor and now works as the Lead Skills Trainer.
Working directly with people with developmental disabilities, Ebony has had a chance to get to know many of the individuals we serve. “They are hard workers just like anyone else,” she said. “They may have challenges, but with the right training and guidance, they will blossom.”
Ebony’s favorite memory at Quest so far happened while working with the Project SEARCH program. Project SEARCH is a nine-month transition-to-work internship program made for interns who want competitive employment after high school graduation.
During her first year working with the program, she had an intern whose mother was uneasy about letting her daughter participate. The mother worried that her daughter’s challenges would be too difficult to overcome and afraid her daughter would not succeed. However, in the Project SEARCH program, her daughter exceeded expectations and did so well in her rotations that she was the first intern hired at the hospital. Her mother was so excited and shocked that she cried tears of joy.
When Ebony looks at her long history with Quest, two people stand out to her: Barbara Moses and Mindy Nguyen. They are directors within the Employment Department and they have influenced Ebony the most. “They are the perfect examples of what a leader should be,” she said. “Through their leadership skills, I have become more confident, knowledgeable and successful when working with individuals with developmental disabilities.”
The feeling of respect is mutual. “It’s a true pleasure working with Ebony,” Mindy said. “She maintains professionalism at all times and her calm and collected personality builds trust and confidence with her interdisciplinary team, clients, and family members. She has a wealth of knowledge regarding effective job coaching and counseling techniques, which results in successful employment outcomes every year in the Project SEARCH program. I am thrilled to have her on our Employment team.”
Ultimately, Ebony would love to become her own provider and work with individuals with disabilities. For now, she just wants people to know that when it comes to people with developmental disabilities, it is important to “focus on their abilities, not their disabilities.”