Madison Fields started working with a KenCrest Job Coach to find employment and get help along the way.
By Sydney Kerelo
Last year, Madison Fields wanted to start working, so she went through the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)—a service that helps people with disabilities prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment—where she was matched with a job coach from KenCrest.
Madison was always capable of joining the workforce. She graduated cum laude from Wilson High School and is a member of the National Honor Society and International Thespian Society. She was involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including Unified Track and Field, and participated in various plays. She even wrote and directed her own play, “The Presumptuous Five,” a modern-day version of the 80’s movie “The Breakfast Club.”
Fields participated in various plays throughout her high school career, including “The Little Prince,” “Shrek,” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” She even started producing and releasing her Electronic Dance Music (EDM) under the DJ Flipp Flopp.
In April 2023, Madison started working at her first job as a cashier at Goodwill. At first, Fields was anxious about beginning to work; she worried about being unable to count change or missing inventory. However, after her first day, her job coach, Kelly, taught her a few tips and tricks to help her along the way.
“I was really worried about counting money,” she says. “But I feel like I’ve gotten way more confident in it. You’re always going to have something you struggle with a little bit, but it’s gotten better, and I’ve learned different techniques to make change.”
When asked what advice she could give other individuals struggling with finding employment, she says to take it slow and be patient, and it’ll all work itself out.
“Even if it isn’t easy in the beginning, it eventually gets better if you work hard at it,” she adds. “Having the drawer be short was very stressful, but now, as long as you take it slow and pay attention to what you’re doing, it’s easier. Sometimes I get anxious if there are a lot of people, but just take it slow and be patient, and it’ll work out.”
In September, Fields will begin attending the Reading Area Community College, where she will pursue social work. She hopes to one day open her own practice to support other neurodivergent individuals.