Where Are They Now? CIP Alumni Report

By Benjamin McMullan, Berkshire Center Alumni

I am a ’00 graduate of the Berkshire Center in Lee, Massachusetts. Following graduation, I went on to fulfill a lifetime goal of graduating from the University of Mississippi, by earning a B.A. in Parks and Recreation Management. My emphasis with-in Park and Recreation Management was tourism.

Fulfilling this degree required me to complete an internship, which I chose to do at a resort in Destin, Florida. I was on a team that was in charge of establishing recreational programs for children ages 4 to 12 years of age.

After this experience, I quickly figured out that I was not suited to work in the hospitality/recreation industry so I decided to fall back on my personal background instead of my educational. This led me to explore the field of disability advocacy which took me to Washington DC. Having friends in DC working for senators helped me tremendously, because I quickly was offered an internship at the United Cerebral Palsy Association (UCPA).

I served as a public policy intern at UCPA for four months. My duties included covering congressional hearings and advocating for issues relevant to the disability community. I went on to work as a youth organizer for Inclusion Research Institute. Through this position I taught teens and young adults with developmental disabilities advocacy skills.

If I could still have one part of the College Internship program it would probably be the culinary aspect. It is difficult to make good food for myself when I am on the run. I would also still benefit greatly from a therapist I could speak with once or twice a week.

I recently moved to San Francisco to live closer to my two older brothers. I currently live with my eldest brother, although I am looking for a place on my own. The brother closest to my age does not live to far away and we see each other often. Since moving to San Francisco I have been busy conducting a job search which I am hoping will end very soon. Similarly to what I did in DC, my focus is to obtain a job in disability advocacy. In fact I recently applied for a job with Disability Rights of California.

I am not currently in a relationship although I continue to explore the possibilities. My hobbies include swimming, watching sports, hanging out with friends, and writing (although I need to do more of this).

If I could still have one part of the College Internship program it would probably be the culinary aspect. It is difficult to make good food for myself when I am on the run. I would also still benefit greatly from a therapist I could speak with once or twice a week.

As for the future I would love to be with a disability organization such as United Cerebral Palsy Association or American Association for People with Disabilities where I could influence national policy decisions for people with disabilities.

Reflecting over the year I spent at the Berkshire Center, I realize there are many things I benefited from. Recently I sent Dr. McManmon an email conveying to him my relationship with the Berkshire Center is like that of a son to a living parent, with age you can admit things you could not when you were young. Such as the vital importance of the eight o’clock meeting, this is the one thing I dreaded the most as a student.

It was not until years later that I realized that by waking up late you create so much more stress for yourself. Daily task, especially for people with disabilities, can be so much easier if you simply plan ahead and follow through.

My advice to current students at the Berkeley Center and the other College Internship programs across the country is listening to your teachers. Believe me I know from experience it is easy to think they are making life tough when they tell you to do something differently from the way you are currently doing it.

I used to disagree with Dr. McManmon a lot, especially when I was a new student but more often than not he was right and I was wrong.