Joshua Haughton is spending his summer gaining hands-on work experience at Taco Cabana through Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast’s Summer Earn & Learn (S.E.A.L.) Work Experience program.
As an intern, Joshua helps with several tasks around the restaurant. His responsibilities include cleaning the outside area, taking out the trash, cleaning trays, and bringing food to customers.
Learning to Take Initiative
Joshua said the job has taught him to look for ways to do his work better, even when a task has not been specifically assigned to him.
“If I see a stain, I might as well just clean it,” Joshua said. “So then the customers will be comfortable eating here.”
That attention to detail has become one of the things Joshua has taken away from his experience at Taco Cabana.
When asked what he enjoys most about coming to work, his answer was simple: meeting people.
Joshua’s Advice to Other Students
The S.E.A.L. program provides paid work experiences for young people ages 14–22 with disabilities. Students spend five to eight weeks at participating worksites, where they can gain experience with workplace responsibilities and expectations.
For Joshua, the experience has given him an opportunity to see what working is like firsthand. He also has a straightforward message for other students who may be considering S.E.A.L.:
“It’s actually a great program to get into. It helps you on job careers, if you are interested in those things.”
Joshua also recognizes the role his parents have played in helping him participate. He said he is grateful that they drive him to work and make time to support him throughout the program.
“I’m grateful for them sacrificing their time for me to get into this program as well.”
Through his placement at Taco Cabana, Joshua is getting his own experience of what it means to show up for work, take responsibility for his tasks, interact with customers, and learn from the people around him.
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