By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 22.8% of people with a disability held jobs in the U.S. in 2025, a stark contrast to the 65.2% employment rate among able-bodied individuals.
To bridge this gap, Gallup-McKinley County Schools is leveraging a unique initiative focused on students with intellectual disabilities.
During the April 2 school board meeting, GMCS special education teacher David Palenschat gave a presentation on Project SEARCH. As the program instructor, Palenschat teaches students vital employability skills while they navigate real-world internships.
“[My favorite part] is the look on their face when they get their first paycheck and when they first get offered a position and a job when everyone else around them thought it was not possible for them to be employed, to be competitive,” Palenschat said in a 2022 interview with the Sun.
Two nurses at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital founded Project SEARCH in 1996 to prepare young adults for integrated, competitively paid work. Today, the one-year internship serves graduates aged 18–22. To ensure a smooth transition, the program keeps interns on a continuing Individualized Education Program after high school graduation.
Throughout the school year, interns earn a training stipend of $13/hr. They rotate through three 10-week internships, gaining the hard and soft skills necessary to thrive in hospitality and service roles like kitchen prep, maintenance, and front-desk operations.
The New Mexico program is funded by the New Mexico Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the New Mexico Department of Health/Developmental Disabilities Support Division, the University of New Mexico Center for Development & Disability, and the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.
Since its local launch in 2015, Gallup’s program has helped over 40 young adults secure integrated employment. Notably, 32 of those placements occurred within the last five years alone. The program’s success has earned national recognition; over 70% of its students find part-time work, and 93% of those graduates have maintained their employment over the last five years.
The impact of this training became clear during the board meeting when current and former interns shared their success stories.
Kali Zuni, who commutes daily via the A:Shiwi Transit system, recently finished internships at the Hilton Garden Inn and Quality Inn. She is now pursuing a housekeeping position at Springhill Suites.
“The staff is really helpful,” Zuni said of her job. “Project SEARCH helped me get a job and it’s a great program.”
Alisa Yazzie graduated from Miyamura High School in 2023, and she said she really enjoyed the program as well. She said she wanted to challenge herself, so she joined Project SEARCH.
She first started working as a housekeeper, before moving on to restaurant work, where she made sure “every customer was satisfied with their meals and drinks.”
When she graduated from the program, she got a job at Baskin-Robbins. She said she gave herself a little pep talk before she started her new job, where she makes sure everything is clean and serves customers their ice cream.
“I told myself ‘You’ll be OK,’” she said.
Pretty soon after she started, Yazzie became a shift leader at the store.
“I was pretty shocked and nervous [when I got the promotion,]” she said. “But I managed to learn [how to be independent].”
Palenschat informed the board that Yazzie is now in charge of closing the Baskin-Robbins at night, which is a huge responsibility.
Finally, a Project SEARCH former intern, Shelby Pederson, spoke about her experience.
Pederson graduated from Miyamura High School in 2015, and participated in Gallup’s first Project SEARCH program. She was initially employed at Hilton Garden Inn as a housekeeper, and eventually worked her way up into a line prep cook at the hotel. She is currently celebrating over 10 years of employment, and also serves as an ambassador for the Special Olympics.
“Project SEARCH helped me and helped me grow into a better leader,” Pederson said.
Reflecting on these achievements, GMCS Interim Superintendent Jvanna Hanks II expressed her pride of the program.
“This has been very near and dear to my heart for many years, and I’m so exceptionally proud of all of these kids,” she said with emotion in her voice.
School board Vice President Priscilla Benally also praised the program, and pointed out that this year the program’s graduation ceremony will be held on May 29. In previous years, the ceremony has fallen on the same day as other graduations within the district, which conflicted with Benally’s and other school board member’s schedules, making it impossible for them to attend.
Palenschat said that from now on Project SEARCH’s graduation ceremony will be held on the last Friday in May. This year’s ceremony will be held on May 29 from 6 pm – 8 pm in the Hilton Garden Inn’s ballroom.
OFFERING OPPORTUNTIES
However, Project SEARCH cannot succeed in a vacuum; it requires local businesses to open their doors.
Samuel Post, General Manager at Springhill Suites, has become one of the program’s fiercest advocates.
“We’re very Project SEARCH-focused. It’s been a great, great journey with them,” he said.
As of April 21, former interns make up one-third of Post’s staff. During the April 2 meeting, he announced that his hotel had offered part-time positions to the entire current group of interns. Post’s commitment earned Springhill Suites the New Mexico All Inclusive Employer Award in 2022, and the hotel is currently a finalist for the 2026 Navajo Nation All Inclusive Employer Award.
Moving forward, Post hopes to expand this culture of inclusion by encouraging other properties within the Generation Hospitality Group to embrace the Project SEARCH model.
Post said all of his Project SEARCH interns are a “top priority” for him.
“They’re number one on my hit list,” he said. “I want to make sure we see them from start to finish.”
