There was so much to celebrate during the recent DBHIDS Points of Transformation Awards we can’t keep it all to one story, but we’ll start by spotlighting two CIS participants who took center stage at Friday’s festivities.

Meet Brittany and Javier. Brittany’s been employed at Thomas Jefferson University since 2012, while Javier has been working at the School District of Philadelphia since 2017.

In honor of their employment success, both were asked to participate in a panel discussion during the recent event. Speaking to a crowd of nearly 300 people and joined by standout Supports Coordinators Alexandria Broxton and Lea Fosco of Quality Progressions and QP President Adrienne Hill, Brittany and Javier spoke about their paths to employment, their keys to success, and what they love about their jobs.

“My team has helped me grow at work, and I’ve been given more and more responsibilities the longer I’ve been there,” said Brittany, who’s approaching her 15-year anniversary at Thomas Jefferson. “Keep fighting alongside us for our access,” she added, “and you’ll see what we can do.”

Making the panel even neater is the fact that it was moderated by Kelly Carroll, CIS’s Director of Operations, who kept it light with her trademark humor while drawing thoughtful, insightful answers from the panel participants through her deep familiarity with their work and the strong relationships she’s forged with each of them.

One of the biggest cheers of the day came in honor of Javier, who was not only a panel participant but also celebrating his birthday! When the birthday wishes died down, Kelly gave Javier the last word, and he ended it with a powerful reminder of what our work is all about:

“Having a job, working in the school district—it makes me feel relied upon,” said Javier. “My coworkers and team help me, and I get to help others. That’s what we’re here for.”