Employer of the Month: Skills of Central PA

Cristy Rachau ’82 (LH) recently had the opportunity to return to campus – not as a student, but as an employer.

A Special Education major, Rachau is now the Employment Services Manager for Skills of Central PA and attended the Government, Non-Profit, & Human Services Career Expo on all three campuses. She operates a summer program that educates high school students about the professional environment and ease the transition by helping them overcome potential barriers to full participation.

"I am always looking for interns for this program and staff for my other programs," explained Rachau. "Offering students interns in the real world will make them better prepared to work in human services once they graduate from college."

Rachau said she enjoyed returning to campus and seeing the changes that have taken place. She also was happy to see how prepared the students were when asking questions and discussing opportunities.

Partnerships like the ones Commonwealth University has with regional organizations and employers make it easier for new grads to not only transition into the professional sphere, but to choose or refine their career path as well.

"I think all students should an internship early in their college education to make sure this is what they want to do for the rest of their lives." Said Rachau. "I did not care for working in the classroom, [but] I have worked with people with disabilities [and] used my degree in every job."