CLIENT OF THE YEAR

NATHAN WALSH Nathan Walsh did something his family never imagined this summer when the autistic man walked into a job interview on his own.

Armed with an employment portfolio and a positive attitude, Walsh overcame his normal communication issues to earn a full-time job with the Nestle Frozen Food Company. He was selected for the job in a competitive interview setting with 100 applicants.

He has worked the second shift at the Nestle plant since July. He makes sure workers have the right amount of supplies on the production lines.

Walsh spoke about his experiences last week in front of a large crowd at an open house held by the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Center in Gaffney. The center provides job training so injured workers and people with disabilities can enter the workforce.

Walsh was named the vocational rehabilitation center’s “Client of the Year” in 2009.

“They helped me with my interview skills and communication,” Walsh said. “They helped me to find my own voice.”

Walsh was born with autism, a spectrum neurological disorder. The condition makes it difficult for people to understand language, to communicate and to develop relationships with others. It is a lifelong disability with no known cause or cure.

There is a wide range of autism, with some people capable of going to college and showing a high intelligence in certain areas like numbers and computers.

Walsh graduated from Gaffney High School in 2007 and attended classes at Spartanburg Community College for a year.

While he showed great interest in computers, family members felt Walsh needed to leave school to reach his full potential.

“Nathan did really well in his computer-aid design and college-level math classes. He failed language arts because he hates to write and wouldn’t do the essays,” said Carolyn Watkins, Nathan’s grandmother. “We felt Nathan was capable of much more, so we asked Jim Hawkins if he would work with him at the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Center.”

The vocational rehabilitation center partners with local businesses to provide job training opportunities for county residents.

A partnership with the school district gives high school students with disabilities an opportunity to spend time exploring technology based careers and education opportunities.

“This has been a real blessing in our life,” Watkins said. “I know Nathan wouldn’t be where he is today without their help. They gave him a lot of confidence in being able to work.”