For Stephanie Arguello, staying still is a challenge. One that her new position as patient transport at UF Health Shands Hospital helps her overcome.
She thrives in environments that keep her moving and engaged, allowing her to channel her energy into meaningful tasks and interactions.
“I enjoy walking around, and I like making new friends,” Arguello said. “I get to learn a lot of new areas, including the morgues.”
She found this opportunity through Project SEARCH, an international program geared to helping neurodivergent students prepare for the workforce.
Project SEARCH originally began in 1996 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center by Erin Reihle. She saw the need for employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and began training them for entry-level positions in her department. The program came to Gainesville in August 2023.
Arguello finished high school at F. W. Buchholz High School that year. She joined Alachua County Public Schools ESE Transition Program: Growing Education Training Program (G.E.T.) in June of the same year. In 2024, she got into Project SEARCH and has been there ever since.
While she initially did not want to be apart from her twin sister, also in the G.E.T program, Arguello joined SEARCH after her mom insisted. But she is glad to have done so, and happy with her decision.
“She [her mom] told me I had to come over here to give it a try, and if I didn't like it, then I’ll go back,” said Arguello. “I never went back; I stayed here.”
Project SEARCH concluded its second year this year with all nine students graduating on May 21.
“I really enjoyed looking around at my interns and seeing the smile on their faces and the sense of accomplishment I could tell they felt,” said Project SEARCH Instructor Tyler Salas, on the program's graduation ceremony. “My favorite part of Project SEARCH is getting to witness that.”
With partnerships with UF Health, Project SEARCH International, the Center of Independent Living, Alachua County Public Schools and the UF College of Medicine, they aim to build up individuals by giving them a sense of purpose, help them build independent life skills and meaningful work.
“Project SEARCH allows us to be inclusive in making sure everyone has a place to belong at UF Health,” said Lisa Athearn, the education and development advisor for UF Health. “Everyone has potential and a means of growth through working here. We’re going to invest in every single one of our employees and interns.”
For Arguello, the experience has given her a sense of security.
“Being with people that you feel comfortable with, that are going to help you with whatever you’re going through,” said Arguello.
Project SEARCH is a vocational program, following a school-year curriculum starting in August and ending in May. It provides students with a daily, one-hour class starting at 8:30 a.m., where they learn developmental skills such as professionalism, personal hygiene, budgeting, resume building and overall life skills to set them up for success. Once they leave the classroom, students start internships at UF Health Shands Hospital until around 2:30 p.m.
“I have a lot of students say ‘Well, I’m not interested in the medical field,’ and I say there’s a lot of opportunities in the hospital,” said Salas. “There’s a lot of transferable skills that you can learn.”
Each student is assessed by Vocational Fit, an assessment that evaluates their skills for potential jobs, to see what department best matches their skills. They will have three different internships throughout the 35-week program, with the hopes of getting a job offer at the end.
So far, 10 out of 16 students have gotten hired by the hospital after their internships.
“These programs are so important because I think they give students other options,” Salas said. “It's really a foot in the door.”
Once in their departments, interns are connected with a mentor. They work as a guide to students not only in their positions but for a betterment of their lives, instilling work ethic and self-motivation among others.
Justin Pagliara works in environmental services at UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital and has been working with Project SEARCH for seven months. He was awarded this school year’s Mentor of the Year for helping students grow socially and instilling confidence in them.
“The long-lasting reward for me is getting the exposure and the experience to work with individuals of that nature,” said Pagliara. “To be impactful in their lives to a degree of establishing confidence and work ethic and purpose.”
The program continues to grow by accepting more students. Their first year, they accepted eight students and are planning on welcoming 10 new students in August.
Growth also includes building connections with more departments in Shands, to provide interns with more diverse opportunities. Starting with partnerships with six departments, SEARCH now has 10 departments signed on for next school year and plans to meet with more.
Arguello said she is grateful for the experience and teaching the program has given her to help her succeed in her future.
“I get to at least have the experience of what it’s like getting a job or having a job,” said Arguello. “And look at me now! I’m with a job and part of transport.”
Anyone enrolled with the Alachua County Public Schools interested in joining Project SEARCH needs to have an IEP to be eligible. They will submit an application, go through an interview process and be assessed by Vocational Rehabilitation with the Florida Department of Education.
The program applications will open up for their next cohort at the start of 2026.