Learning happens in classrooms every day—but sometimes, some of the biggest lessons happen on the job.
At Michigan State University Linen Services, Spartan Project SEARCH interns Jameson and DT are spending their final weeks of internship not only learning new responsibilities, but stepping into leadership roles as well.
The pair are currently learning how to make linen packs while continuing to strengthen valuable workplace habits like teamwork, task management, and communication. But their impact extends beyond the work itself.
Along the way, Jameson and DT have also begun helping support and encourage future Spartan Project SEARCH interns, including students who may soon follow in their footsteps.
That peer support matters.
Programs like Spartan Project SEARCH are designed to help young adults with disabilities gain real-world job experience while building confidence, independence, and employability skills. Through a partnership between Ingham Intermediate School District and Michigan State University, interns participate in immersive workplace experiences across campus while receiving classroom instruction focused on employment readiness and independent living skills.
For students like Jameson and DT, success is showing up in many forms: learning new tasks, growing comfortable in professional environments, and realizing they have something valuable to offer others.
Perhaps most meaningful of all? They are beginning to model what confidence looks like for the students coming behind them.
Because leadership doesn’t always begin with a title.
Sometimes, it starts by simply showing someone else, “You can do this, too.”
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