Best Buddies interns celebrate graduation after completing inaugural program

UC Davis Health recently celebrated the graduation of its first Best Buddies Project SEARCH internship cohort during a joyful ceremony held Friday, June 27. The nine-month internship, which began in the fall of 2024, provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in a health care setting.

Graduates marked the milestone with friends, family, supervisors and program leaders. The celebration included refreshments, certificate presentations, group photos, and heartfelt remarks from interns about the personal and professional growth they experienced during the program.

James Rice, manager of Patient Support Services and one of the department leaders who hosted interns, was among those in attendance. In a video produced by Best Buddies International, he emphasized the impact of the collaboration with Best Buddies:

"We share the same mission, vision and values in providing quality service and care to the community and having a diverse workforce," Rice said. He explained that the interns have the possibility of future fulltime employment and they also receive job training. 

Program leaders said that the internship has significantly bolstered hospital operations, advanced goals for a more inclusive workplace, and fostered a positive atmosphere across UC Davis Health.

Throughout the internship, participants rotated through roles in departments such as Distribution, Radiology, Guest Relations, Patient Support Services, Plant Operations and Maintenance, and more. Each day combined classroom learning in the morning with real-world job training in the afternoon, all with the goal of preparing interns for long-term employment.

The next Best Buddies Project SEARCH cohort begins Aug. 4.