CCI Testimony

Speakers: Shannon Calhoon. Kalla Bertram. Alix Grieve. Kory Ulmer. Marlie Schuyler

Marlie Schuyler: Um And I was working at C C, I has also taught me that every, everything really does matter. Um, no matter how big or small it is, it's, it affects not only my life but others around me. Um It has also made me love coming back home on the weekends and working. It's just a positive and a great environment. So it's something I can look forward to. It's not like I'm not there to, to just work, I'm there to socialize and make a difference in other people's lives.

Kalla Bertram: C C I has impacted my life by teaching me important skills along with developing relationships that will help me in my future career after college.

Shannon Calhoon: of sts. You last summer I worked at C C I, I was looking for a job that would add fulfillment into my life. And my friend Marley suggested C C I, I had never really worked in this type of a situation before and I was looking for a job that would improve my mental health and kind of give me some fulfillment in my life. I hadn't really felt very much fulfillment since I was in college and I used to feel fulfillment through high school sports and that just obviously wasn't something I was doing anymore. I got to meet amazing individuals through C T I that really cared about the work that I was doing. And it was really nice to see that even this winter break I went through and picked up some hours and having people remember me and still appreciate me as something that made me feel really special and liked. I also plan to work at A P T office this summer as well as working at C C I. Just because I realized that letting go of this experience will be something a little more difficult than I first imagined.

Kory Ulmer: So um community connections really impacted my life in a couple different ways. Um The two ways that always pop up in my head is um it really impacted my career field of why I chose to do what I do. Um My first experience with working through those intense behaviors was that community connections and I was very interested in it. I wanted to help them work through those and what are we going to do? So this doesn't happen anymore. Um So I currently am a special education teacher at Sioux Falls School District and I was a behavior facilitator for many years for the district before that. So, um I worked with very intense behaviors and my interest really all sparked when I started working at community connections.

Alix Grieve: C C I impacted my life in many different ways. First, it provided me an absolutely great job throughout those six years. Um But not only that, it taught me a lot of really important life skills working at C C I that makes me a much better person and much more employable person in my adult life. The skills that taught me are, I mean, some of the most important skills that you'll have throughout the rest of your life. And I don't know if I would be as well rounded as I am now. Had I not worked at C C I? So some of those skills are empathy and patience and kindness.