Project SEARCH interns earn certificates in Gallup ceremony

Four Project SEARCH interns crossed a local employment milestone in Gallup when Kali Zunie, McHal Chavez, Pernell Dosedo and Vanessa Larry received certificates of completion at the Hilton Garden Inn on May 29. The ceremony was small, but the stakes were larger than a photo opportunity: it marked the end of a structured transition-to-work program meant to move young adults with disabilities closer to paid employment.

Gallup-McKinley County Schools describes Project SEARCH as an internationally recognized transition-to-work program that gives students with disabilities real-world job experience through total workplace immersion. The model is built around one academic year of employment preparation at the work site, ending with individualized job search and placement. New Mexico program materials say participants are typically ages 18 to 22 and complete three 10-week internships in a host business such as a hotel or hospital.

In Gallup, the Hilton Garden Inn has served as that host business for 10 years, giving the program a steady workplace setting and a visible local footprint. In a previous class, the hotel said 6 of 8 graduating interns were offered permanent jobs, and it said 12 of its employees began in Project SEARCH. That track record gives the Gallup ceremony added weight: it suggests the program is doing more than handing out certificates, it is creating a route into the workforce.

That matters in McKinley County, where families have long watched for programs that can help young people move from school support into independent employment. Gallup-McKinley County Schools says all slots for the 2026-2027 Project SEARCH year are already full, a sign that demand remains strong. For parents and employers alike, the appeal is clear. Students get workplace immersion, practical employability skills and coaching in a real business setting, while local employers gain workers who have already learned how to function on the job.

The broader need is still evident. A New Mexico government feature cited U.S. Department of Labor data showing that 19.1% of people with disabilities were employed in 2020, compared with 63.7% of able-bodied people. Against that backdrop, the four Gallup graduates were finishing more than a class. They were stepping out of a program built to turn training into work, and into a local pipeline that families in Gallup will keep watching closely.