Rand Finds Her Way With Tech - Adelante Development Center

“When Rand was younger, I didn’t know how she was going to participate in her future.” Rand’s mother, Miriam, told us. Her disability makes verbal communication challenging. “It’s easy for people to assume that she isn’t capable,” but Rand is very capable. Her natural smarts, ability to learn quickly, and her attention to detail make her ready for a promising future. When Rand graduated from high school, she and her family strived to find a line of work where Rand could maximize her talents and shine in the community. And shine she did.

Rand and her parents began to research ways she could explore her interests. DVR’s Project Search program helped Rand find work at UNMH where she discovered the joy of computer repair. “I was the only girl, and I was fast,” she said about fixing hospital computers. That led Rand to a data entry job, but Rand worked so quickly, her supervisors couldn’t produce enough for her to do. She needed more of a challenge. That’s when she came to Adelante and DiverseIT.

“When I was younger I didn’t know what the inside of a computer looked like,” she said. At Adelante she is learning all about them. She knows how to insert a hard drive, a battery charger, and install Windows 10. She enjoys building computers and feels really good when a device is back up and running. The skill development offered at DiverseIT is a better fit with her abilities.

“Already [Rand] has an opportunity that she didn’t have before as a paid learner through DVR.” Miriam tells us. Rand plans to begin the Salesforce certification track, and if she enjoys that, her mom says, it will be a great way for her to gain marketable skills that could launch her into an even larger career in IT.