CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — The Alabama Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities honored two local men with statewide awards during a ceremony organized by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) and held at the Alabama Department of Archives and History earlier this month.
Dillon Smith of Opelika received the Employee of the Year Award, while Auburn University’s Fisher Rizk won Student of the Year.
Gov. Kay Ivey said the awards highlight what is possible when people with disabilities are given the opportunity to contribute their talents and skills to the workforce.
“It is the dream of all Alabamians to find a good job and provide for themselves and their families, and my administration is equally committed to that goal,” she said. “Today — as our state is experiencing one the most promising job markets for all applicants in many decades — it is time for people of all abilities to join our workforce.”
Smith, who is employed at Another Broken Egg Café in Auburn as a busser, was nominated by Achievement Center Easterseals Director of Vocational Services Jaci Lee. Smith said he was excited when he learned he had been chosen.
“I felt happy,” he said. “I was proud of that. I also was very excited that my family was going to get to go. I’m very excited to meet the governor and win the award. My bosses are excited too.”
Smith, who has anxiety and an intellectual disability that affects his processing of information and speech, has other duties besides bussing, such as bringing ice to servers, stocking the refrigerator, cleaning and putting dishes away.
He said he has made lots of friends and has become part of the family.
“I love it here,” Smith said. “I just come in here and do my job.”
Smith recently earned his one-year employment pin and is working toward his second.
ADRS Commissioner Jane Elizabeth Burdeshaw said this is just another example of how businesses can be positively impacted when they hire skilled and talented people with disabilities.
“Today, it’s more important than ever to bring attention to the advantages of hiring individuals with different abilities,” she said. “At ADRS, we see Alabamians who, with support and the right accommodations, are helping businesses all over the state fill needed vacancies with their talents, abilities and pure enthusiasm for their jobs.”
Rizk is in his final semester of graduate school, pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management with a focus on product innovation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a specialization in biomedical engineering. His goal is to work in the biomedical or pharmaceutical industry as a project manager.
Rizk was nominated by ADRS Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Service Counselor Brandy Mills, who first met Rizk during his senior of high school, when he was injured in a motocross accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury.
“I’m very honored to have received [the award],” Rizk said. “I always knew that I had really big goals growing up, and to see a lot of those goals come to fruition now has been a really rewarding experience for me.”
The Alabama Governor’s Committee on Employment with Disabilities awards recognize the contributions and successes of people with disabilities and those businesses that provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to achieve through competitive, integrated employment.
Created by the Alabama Legislature in 1994, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services is the state agency that serves Alabamians with disabilities, helping them to reach their [maximum] potential. Its continuum-of-care approach means that support and resources are available to Alabamians with disabilities at every stage of life. Find out more at rehab.alabma.gov.
