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, in the North Addition Auditorium. The nine-month internship, which began in September 2024, provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) 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. He previously reflected on the value of the program in a Leadership Message earlier this year, emphasizing how the interns’ contributions have advanced inclusion and strengthened hospital operations.

Throughout the internship, participants rotated through roles in departments such as Distribution, Radiology, Guest Relations, Patient Support Services, Plant Operations & 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 August 4.