Success Story of William Monteleone
Division: DRS-DHHS
Do you know what a Horologist is? Will Monteleone from Flower
Mound, Texas does and with assistance from DARS’ Deaf and Hard
Hearing Services, he is enjoying his life as one. A Horologist
is one who makes and repairs timepieces, a career that suits
Will because, as he says, “I’ve always had a talent for fixing
things.” Will’s deafness strengthened his resolve to find
employment he enjoys.
Will saw an ad for a Horology program at Paris Junior College in
Paris, Texas that interested him, especially since the ad said
watchmakers are in high demand. He contacted DARS’ Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) Program and began working with Bryant
Robinson, a VR Counselor from Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.
The two worked together as a team to uncover how Will could
achieve his goal of getting into the Horology program. He said,
“I found the school, the requirements for the
certificate/degree, I looked on the Internet and found what kind
of jobs I could do with my education and the salary I could
expect to earn. I also contacted a local watch shop to observe.
I wanted to be sure this was what I wanted to do.”
After researching the career thoroughly, Will and Bryant agreed
that this was the career track for him. Bryant helped Will
complete his school plan, helped arrange finances for a dorm
room at the college and to help pay for the tools required in
the program.
Will said he experienced some tough times, but his counselor,
Bryant, was always encouraging him to press on: “Some days
weren’t easy at school. I was away from home and only deaf and
hard of hearing person there. The program was very intense and I
had days when I really struggled but my counselor and his team
were great. It was a huge benefit knowing that Bryant was ‘in my
corner and rooting for me to succeed.’ He and his team were not
only there with the ‘accommodations’ side but also with support
and encouragement.
In February 2007, Will was the first person who is deaf to
graduate with a certificate of Horology from Paris Junior
College. Will was immediately hired after his graduation.
Will said of his accomplishments, “DARS gave me an opportunity
to start a new phase of my life. I love what I do and I’m good
at it. I have such a sense of accomplishment when I’ve taken
someone’s cherished time piece and returned it to them, in
perfect running order. In addition to that, I am working with a
group of people who value me, my work and treat me as an equal.”
Will Monteleone is another employment success story from the
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. He raves
about the assistance and the encouragement from his VR
Counselor, Bryant Robinson. Will sent DARS a message thanking
Bryant for his work and his support, using a story about a
little boy trying to make a difference: “A man walking along the
beach sees a little boy throwing starfish back into the sea.
It’s a low tide and thousands of them are trapped on the beach.
The man points to all of the starfish and says, ‘There are so
many; you can’t possibly make a difference.’ The boy replies, as
he throws a starfish into the sea, ‘I can make a difference to
this one.’ Bryant and his team made a difference and I am
grateful.”
Will continues, “For me to be successful I had to do my part but
it also depends on the attitude and the support of the
counselor, too. I was fortunate to work with Bryant. Counselors
have an opportunity to make a difference, to empower a client
and allow them to change their life for the better.”
Bryant and the people Will worked with at DARS did just that.
More success stories from Texas
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