On a recent morning this week at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, something cool happened in our class. It began quietly enough—with our intern Loane taking the podium.
Loane is part of Project SEARCH PEI. For many of our interns, it is their first professional experience—an opportunity to discover their strengths and begin imagining a future in the workforce. On this particular day, the classroom had a special visitor.
Mark, leads an Aerospace company, and had come to meet the interns and explore the possibility of creating an opportunity within the company. When it was Loane’s turn to present, the room grew attentive. Standing confidently, Loane began with an introduction about himself. Then he walked the audience through a series of slides he had carefully prepared.
First, he explained what he had learned about the company—its work, its place in the industry, and the kind of innovation the company represents.
Next came something unexpected. Loane presented a short biography of Mark himself—describing his years in the industry, his international experience, and the reputation he has built in the field. Mark listened with visible surprise and a growing smile. From there, Loane moved into what any good job candidate hopes to do: he explained what he believed the company would be looking for in an employee – And showed how his own experiences had prepared him.
Slide by slide, he described the skills he had developed during his internships at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital—attention to detail, reliability, focus, and the ability to follow structured processes.
Finally, he explained how those strengths could help him learn and contribute to tasks within the aerospace industry.
When he finished, Loane thanked Mark for coming and asked politely if he had any questions. For a moment, the room was quiet. Then the applause began. His fellow interns clapped enthusiastically. Mark joined them.
Afterward, Mark admitted he was genuinely surprised by the level of preparation and professionalism he had just seen. “I can’t believe that kid is one of yours,” he said to me, clearly impressed. ”I’ve seen engineers fresh out of college who couldn’t do that.”
What he had witnessed was exactly what Project SEARCH PEI is designed to reveal: the talent, dedication, and potential that often go unseen when young people with disabilities are overlooked in the workforce.
Following the presentation, Mark spoke with the interns about the industry and answered their questions. The conversation was lively and curious. There was particular enthusiasm when Mark talked about his work for 7 years on the Canadarm and how it works in space. And it sparked new possibilities to explore for all of our interns but mostly for Loane. Next step a site visit to see how it all works and if Loane thinks this is something that will truly fit for him and Mark. For the interns, the day offered something powerful: recognition. For Loane, it was a moment of accomplishment—standing at a podium, presenting as a professional, prepared applicant, and being taken seriously by an industry leader.
And for everyone in the room, it was a reminder of what happens when opportunity meets potential. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation, a presentation, and someone willing to see what’s possible.
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