Fri, Dec 18, 2015 at 06:00 AM

Project SEARCH student goes from intern to employee.

Cheyenne Tarbox got a big surprise Friday. To celebrate her new job at Marshall North, her family and co-workers threw her a party.

When she starts the position next week, it will be the first job for Cheyenne, 19, who has Asberger Syndrome. After she graduated from Brindlee Mountain High School, her mother persuaded her to take an internship with Project SEARCH, which links special needs students with employers, such as Marshall Medical Centers. It has changed the teen’s life.

“She was iffy in the beginning,” said Patty Tarbox. “It was out of her comfort zone. Her comfort zone is in her room with her computer and her art.”

After Project SEARCH helped her get an intern position in the hospital’s environmental services department, Cheyenne bloomed, according to her mother. She smiles and talks much more than she did. Patty told Cheyenne’s co-workers that she talks about them all the time, especially about their Dirty Santa party.

“She’s never done anything like that before,” Patty said. “She had fun.”

Cheyenne’s co-workers feel the same way about her.

“She works hard,’’ said Lori Hayes. “She’s a good person. We have a good time.”

Cheyenne is one of 10 high school students working as interns at Marshall Medical Centers through Project SEARCH, a national program that targets students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program is a partnership between ADRS, the state and county boards of education and ARC of Jackson County. The county school system provides job coaches to supervise students on the job. Job coaches stay with students until they become skilled enough to work independently. Students were selected from DAR, Albertville, Brindlee Mountain, Asbury and Douglas high schools.

Job Coach Ann Kennamer was very proud of her student.

“She will be a great representative of Project SEARCH at the hospital and out in the world,” she said.

Cheyenne’s first 10-week rotation was in environmental services. She stayed into her second rotation and was hired.

“She just fell into it and did great,” Kennamer said.

Cheyenne could do nothing but smile when she saw the party and cake with “Congratulations Cheyenne” written in purple frosting. When asked how she feels about her new job, she said, “Mostly nervous.”