When Aurelius Fiamahn starts talking about graduation, it’s easy to see how excited he is about reaching such a big milestone.

On May 20, he will receive his diploma from Licking Heights High School and graduate from the Project SEARCH program at Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS).

He and the other seven interns celebrating their graduation have worked hard throughout the school year at different departments around the hospital. 

Each one has gained skills that will help them transition into adulthood and pursue their goals — whether that’s getting a job, living independently or getting their driver’s license. 

For the last eight years, that’s been the goal of Project SEARCH, which gives young adults with disabilities the opportunity to complete three internships in different departments of the hospital.

The program is a partnership between the hospital, the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the Licking Regional Educational Service Center and Greenleaf Job Training Services, Inc.

Aurelius interned in the environmental services and culinary departments before his final rotation in the acute rehab department and the LMHS grounds crew. 

His favorite tasks have been cleaning and dusting and he’s proved himself to be very detail-oriented. He’s also been recognized for his positive attitude and enjoys encouraging his fellow interns.

He’s hoping to get other internship experiences in the community, with the ultimate goal of pursuing higher education. 

Elizabeth Thompson, who attends Northridge High School, interned in the fiscal management office and the LMHS building at 1717 W. Main Street, before finishing the year in the purchasing department.

Because she has an interest in photography, she also had the opportunity to shadow LMHS’ graphic designer and learn about some of the opportunities he has to take photos around the hospital and edit them with Adobe Photoshop.

Elizabeth said she would like to get a job and look into attending college for photography and art. She would also like to get her driver’s license.