Meet the Sonoran Center Employment Team
Last month, we covered the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities’ employment Initiatives for transition-aged youth. These programs help make the transition out of high school and into the workplace as seamless as possible for students with disabilities.
Now we’d like to go behind the scenes and highlight the dedicated team members making it all possible. The Employment Team has members in both Tucson and Phoenix, working with schools and businesses throughout the state.
Kelsey Montano, Pre-ETS Project Coordinator
“My name is Kelsey Montano and I am the PreETS project coordinator. I work with the PreETS team on building, maintaining, and sustaining transition programs within our partnered schools across Arizona. Through the expansion of our program, we are able to witness visible change by education and awareness within our school systems, partnered businesses, school staff, student participation and engagement from their families. I am honored to be part of this change and growth as a community which would not otherwise be possible without such a dedicated team.”
AnnaMaria Lopez, Vocational Specialist
“I’m Annamaria Lopez. I go into the community and work with students from schools within Arizona. I love meeting the many students in our program and seeing how the students grow in their confidence.”
Preslee Buher, Vocational Specialist
“Hello! I'm Preslee. I’m a Vocational Specialist and I support students with work experiences in the community. I enjoy seeing each student's success throughout their experience!”
Heather Dietrich, Vocational Specialist
“My name is Heather Dietrich. I am a Vocational Specialist located at the Project SEARCH-Mayo Clinic site in Phoenix. I enjoy seeing the confidence of the interns grow. By the end of the school year, they are a completely different person from who they were when they began their internships.
Ariana Rendon, Vocational Specialist
“Hi, I’m Ariana Rendon, I am a vocational specialist at the University of Arizona. I work alongside students in the community to help teach them job skills they will need to be successful in the future. I enjoy watching students grow throughout their job experience doing things they never thought they could do!”
Abel Young, Community Services Director
“My name is Abel Young, I’m our director for community services. I oversee all our employment and transition initiatives here at the Sonoran Center.”
Irene Morales, Vocational Specialist
“My name is Irene Morales, and I’m one of the vocational specialists here in Tucson. I work 1:1 with the students as their job coach at their work sites in the community. I also train the school’s job coaches on best practices for the Work Based Learning Experience. I enjoy seeing the progress that students make! I love to see the students recognize their strengths, and how proud it makes them.”
Sarah Loreto, Vocational Specialist
“I’m Sarah Loreto. I am a Vocational Specialist and have been with the UCEDD for almost 1 year. I work with students out in the community helping them at their job sites. I enjoy working with the students and seeing the progress they make.”
Lisa Ayo, Vocational Specialist
“My name is Lisa Ayo. I am a Vocational Specialist working out of Phoenix. What I love about my job is seeing the students develop confidence in themselves. I love the fact that we can impact students one-on-one. We get an opportunity to really work with students and get to know them, and really help them grow into a place that others may never have seen them being there. That ability to really reach out to those kids is really important to me and that’s the reason why I do what I do because I love making an impact.”
Rosa Franco, Vocational Specialist
“Hi, I am Rosa, a Vocational Specialist located in Tucson on the Employment team. I enjoy helping prepare students for the workforce as well as creating connections within our community and creating awareness.”
Last month, we covered the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities’ employment Initiatives for transition-aged youth. Now we’re going behind the scenes to highlight the dedicated team members making it all possible.