Hurricane Ian tested everyone’s resolve, including a pair of interns at the Hyatt, working in a special program for adults with disabilities. Hurricane Ian shut down the hotel they learned at temporarily. But a pair of interns came back to see the program through. “Hands-On at Hyatt is it’s a state-funded program,” said Program Director John Ficca. “But it’s only made possible through a cool partnership with Hyatt hotels and Florida’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. That’s the state agency that helps people with disabilities find a job, get a job, keep a job.” Uriel Lora-Gomez The program started five days before Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida. “They had to pause their training because the hotel closed for 40 days,” Ficca said. On Tuesday, two interns, Uriel Lora-Gomez and Hansel Valdes-Herrera, graduated from the program. Uriel earned a permanent position in the kitchen. “I’m actually happy that people are willing to hire me after I finished the program, which I am extremely happy about. Benefits, work, stable workplace, good hours,” Lora-Gomez said. Hansel Valdes-Herrera Hansel worked in the recreation department but is now off to look for other jobs or even go to college. “I enjoyed it because I did one of my favorite things, which was talking to people. I was a very social kid, since I was like, very little,” Valdes-Herrera. “People with disabilities, they want what everybody else wants; they want to be valued, they want to be appreciated. They want to be recognized. They want to be included in all aspects of the community and work is a huge aspect,” Ficca said. Ficca wants to educate people about the program because he believes it will benefit others in the community. If you want to learn more about the program, visit the website.