That fear proved to be unfounded.

 That fear proved to be unfounded.

“We quickly learned the extra sets of hands were a gift to our department,” Mihalko said. “In fact, the comment I hear now is not, ‘What are we going to do with them?’ but, ‘What are we going to do without them?'”

“You guys have worked so hard, and we’re so proud,” Faith Baker, TRC’s employment services administrator, told the interns after presenting their graduation certificates. “I can’t wait to see what the rest of your journey brings.”

The graduates gave gifts to TRC and UPMC officials while stating their appreciation for the opportunity to participate in Project SEARCH.

“We would like to thank everyone at UPMC for giving us their time and putting in the effort to help us build on our employability skills,” Kenzie said. “We are ready to work and ready to show the world everything that we’ve learned.”