Over the course of this summer, the HDS Foundation has had two interns on board – Hope Sotolongo-Miranda and Benny Elfont. Hope and Benny have been incredibly helpful in their work at the HDS Foundation.

Hope has been successful in putting together a binder full of information on post-secondary options for graduating high school students with disabilities. She focused primarily on degree and certificate programs that would be available to students with disabilities, especially Autism Spectrum Disorder, in the South Florida area. Hope thoroughly researched these schools and the important information parents would need to know, such as accommodations provided, cost of attendance and services, transportation, and contact information. She even visited one of the schools she researched to gain more knowledge of the program and to start building a relationship with the school’s program. In addition, Hope researched a multitude of general scholarships for students with disabilities and created a document where they can all be seen. All of this information can now be found in one compact binder, making it easier and more convenient for parents and students to learn about their options. Hope has also aided in developing the HDS Foundation’s social media presence by updating the Facebook page with new pictures, events, or blogs.

Benny has also been successful, having developed the HDS Foundation’s online presence through the writing, editing, and posting of numerous blogs on the HDS Foundation’s website. The HDS Foundation has so many events occurring constantly, and Benny’s work on the blog has been instrumental in getting the word out about these wonderful and impactful events. With each blog post, he adds on pictures of the event, so that readers can really get a glimpse of what the Foundation does and what it’s really all about: helping those with Autism Spectrum Disorder in developing a future that they will be happy with and proud of. Without these blog posts, the HDS Foundation would not be as known as we are today, and the people in the ASD community would not know the amazing opportunities available to them through the Foundation. Benny will be with the company until August 25th, continuing to write these essential blog posts.

As the summer is coming to an end, today HDS and the HDS Foundation will be celebrating these interns and their work over the last few months. Thank you, interns!