Campus Rec's Internship with Harper’s Career Skills Institute Builds Job Readiness
The Career Skills Institute (CSI), launched in 2012 at Harper College, provides young adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to continue their education beyond high school. Offered through Harper’s Community Education department, this two-year program focuses on developing basic academic and employability skills to support long-term success.
Like many great partnerships, this one began with a simple facility tour. During a visit to Campus Recreation by the CSI team, CENTERS @ Harper Director, Julie Bearden, proposed ways the department could further support CSI students. The timing was perfect—Linda Hoeck, CSI program founder and coordinator, suggested Campus Rec serve as an internship site for the upcoming spring semester.
“I had experience working with special populations and was immediately excited about the opportunity,” said Veronica Tantoco, Senior Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at CENTERS at Harper College. “We didn’t have much time, but I jumped in to develop the training materials and internship framework and even ran mock interviews to prepare the students.”
Since officially becoming an internship site in Spring 2019, Campus Rec has hosted 15 interns from the CSI program. Each internship is customized to fit the individual’s strengths and developmental needs, with responsibilities and supervision levels adjusted accordingly.
“We tailor every internship to the individual,” Tantoco explained. “Some students are ready to take on more responsibility right away, while others benefit from additional coaching. The key is flexibility and meeting them where they are.”
Over time, the department has expanded and refined its internship training manuals, project guides, and onboarding materials to make them more adaptable. The support model has evolved as well.
“Initially, the interns worked directly under my supervision,” Tantoco said. “Now, we’ve brought our part-time Campus Rec staff into the process—they help train, job coach, and oversee projects. It’s been a great way to build leadership skills across the whole team.”
The partnership has had a powerful impact not just on the interns, but on Campus Rec staff as well.
“Watching these students grow in confidence and ability is incredibly rewarding,” said Tantoco. “It’s not just about job skills. It’s about creating a sense of belonging—and that benefits everyone on campus.”