AAA Southern New England Provides Opportunities for IIRI Students

Michelle Saunders, AAA Director of Workforce Mentoring, recognized for her commitment to IIRI Education & Training program

At IIRI’s Education & Training graduation ceremony on June 8, 2007, Michelle Saunders was awarded a recognition plaque for her commitment to mentoring student interns from the IIRI Work Training Certificate Program (WTCP) and her efforts to establish employment opportunities. 

Improving student skills for better employment opportunities is the focus of the program. Enhancing English grammar, conversation, and writing is done simultaneously while learning computer, administrative, career building, and customer service skills. Opportunities for student internships is part of the program and takes place in the spring for 4 weeks, 8-10 hours per week. Internships are an extremely valuable experience offering students on-the-job training and preparation for future employment.

Michelle Saunders first partnered with IIRI in 2004 when she visited a WTCP class as a guest speaker.  She has come back each year and has arranged tours of AAA offices for classes. Michelle was a key player in the establishment and expansion of the WTCP internship program. Each year, she has been successful at placing an IIRI student in an AAA internship.  This past year she placed three students in internships:

• Marisol Capellan, from the Dominican Republic, was placed in the AAA downtown Providence office as a Member Service Counselor reporting to Marc Johnson.
• Liliana Hurtato De Herrera, from Guatemala, was placed in AAA’s Southern New England headquarters in Providence as Assistant to the Director, Carl Richardson.
• Eva Meyer, from Mexico, was placed in the AAA Warwick office as a Member Service Counselor reporting to Chuck Nardozza.

All three women were successful at their internships and graduated in June with new administrative and customer services skills, and strong employment prospects.  Michelle is currently working on possibly finding these three talented women permanent jobs at AAA. Marisol Capellan described her experience working as an intern at AAA as “outstanding” and she greatly appreciated the opportunity “to be a team player.” Liliana Hurtato De Herrera said of her experience, “One of the most important things I learned at AAA was professionalism - in managing problems and emergencies, and in serving the customer and respecting each and every employee.”

Michelle, who was moved to tears during the presentation of her award, said of the AAA/IIRI partnership, “I am amazed by the many different nationalities represented and by how well the classes get along with each other. Our company has had the wonderful opportunity to learn just as much from the IIRI interns as they learn from us.”

Employers like AAA and the work of staff like Michelle Saunders, Marc Johnson, Carl Richardson, and Chuck Nardozza give the WTCP program the experiential learning edge it needs to make it so rewarding for students.

Both the students and instructors are extremely grateful for Michelle’s kindness, resourcefulness, and dedication. IIRI looks forward to a long partnership with AAA.