Eleven candidates completed the last day of class for the Spring 2019 Capstone Course on April 25^th. They are the 13^th group to graduate since Starkloff Career Academy launched the program in 2012.

This course expanded on new initiatives introduced in the Fall 2018 course. This included adding two additional weeks to the program and an additional day with the Center for Creative Arts, where participants learned valuable storytelling and public speaking skills from world-renowned actors and writers. Participants later had the opportunity to practice behavioral interview techniques with recruiters from Mercy Healthcare and Ameren Corporation.

The last two days of classroom time were spent with guest speakers Catherine Hwang of the OFCCP and Sandy Weitkamp with the BCI Skills Center. The course culminated with the 2019 Spring Resume Cleanup on April 25^th, where participants joined other job seekers in getting their resumes reviewed by representatives from Boeing, Olin Corporation, CannonDesign and Royal Banks of Missouri.

“The Starkloff Disability Institute Capstone Course has surpassed all my expectations,” said participant Almitra Johnson. “I would recommend this class to any candidates seeking information on how to prepare, execute and get the job of their dreams. Thanks for the opportunity.”

“l think my favorite parts [of the class] were the practical exercises such as the COCA sessions, the corporate training and the mock job interviews,” said participant Maryska Suda. “l also enjoyed meeting and getting to know my classmates individually through these exercises.”

Barb Martin, Senior Recruiter with Mercy, encouraged other companies to participate in the class. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to network with candidates that may be suited for your organization, as well as gain an understanding of resources available to candidates and employers to ensure success in the workplace,” said Martin.

Nya Grimes, Strategic Workforce Specialist with Ameren agreed.  When asked why companies should participate in the Capstone Course, she said, “You would do yourself a disservice if not, and miss out on great candidates.”

The Starkloff Career Academy wishes to thank the following people for making the Spring 2019 Capstone Course a great success:

Amanda Austin, Senior Recruiter, Mercy Healthcare

Barb Martin, Senior Recruiter, Mercy Healthcare

Catherine Hwang, Compliance Officer, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

Jennifer Feinberg, Recruiter, Mercy Healthcare

Jennifer Krsul, Recruiter, Ameren Corporation

Lee Ann Matthews, COCAbiz Instructor

Nya Grimes, Strategic Workforce Specialist, Ameren Corporation

Sandy Weitkamp, Benefits Case Manager, BCI Skills Center

Steve Knight, COCAbiz Director

Steve Reggi, COCAbiz Instructor

Susan Grigsby, COCAbiz Instructor