VR at Work

One job seeker with an interest in public service and policy research came to our team for support in building a meaningful career. Together, our staff explored opportunities and connected him with state contacts. The team provided ongoing guidance through applications and interviews, helping strengthen his interview skills and boost confidence. 

The breakthrough came when a lead at the Massachusetts Office on Disability opened the door for him to apply. With advocacy from our team and careful preparation, he secured an interview and impressed the hiring managers. He was offered the position and has been thriving in his new role since November 2024! 

This success shows the power of vocational rehabilitation: not just matching someone with a job but helping them find gainful employment that positively supports their needs and their employer. 

In May 2024, a job seeker living with a traumatic brain injury reached out to MassAbility for support in finding meaningful employment. With the help of adaptive technology provided through our partner organization, she was able to continue her job search from home and stay focused on her goals.

The team encouraged her to explore new opportunities, including volunteering, which ultimately led to a promising opening at Road to Responsibility. With resume support, application guidance, and interview practice, she built the confidence and skills to apply and was eventually offered a position!

By February 2025, she began working as at Road to Responsibility, earning $18 per hour and stable part-time employment. She now shares how much she enjoys her role and the community she has built there. Through close collaboration across different support networks, her team helped her to achieve fulfilling, sustainable employment aligned with her passions.

After a work-related injury forced Peris, a nurse practitioner, to leave her career in 2019, she faced years of financial and personal challenges while caring for her children and aging parents. Despite these obstacles, she remained determined to return to the field she loved and turned to MassAbility for support.

AnnMarie Killian once felt like every door was closed to her.

“I was struggling academically and didn’t see a future for someone like me who is Deaf. Every path I tried felt like another closed door, and I was ready to give up. Dropping out seemed inevitable,” she recalled.

That changed when her guidance counselor connected her with Bruce at Vocational Rehabilitation. “Instead of letting me walk away, Bruce encouraged me to give VR a chance. He referred me to the Minnesota Academy for the Deaf, and that one referral opened a door that forever changed my life.”

At the Academy, AnnMarie found the tools and support she needed to thrive. “Through VR, I found more than an education — I gained confidence, belonging, and the belief that my future was worth fighting for.”

Her journey didn’t stop there. With new skills, determination, and self-belief, AnnMarie built a career dedicated to service. Today, she is the President and CEO of @tdiforaccess, a nonprofit organization advancing accessibility and inclusion. Looking back, she reflects: “Vocational Rehabilitation doesn’t just open doors — it changes trajectories and transforms lives.”

Kwik Trip Partners with VRS to Provide Meaningful Employment

If you drive around the Midwest region of the United States, you’re probably refueled at a Kwik Trip convenience store at some point. What you might not know is that for over three decades this family-owned company has worked in partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) programs in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, connecting people with disabilities to employment through the Retail Helper program.

Kwik Trip, Inc. is based out of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and has over 850 stores across the Midwest, in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Their mission is “to serve our customers and community more effectively than anyone else by treating our customers, co-workers, and suppliers as we, personally, would like to be treated and to make a difference in someone’s life.”

The inception of the Retail Helper program was a direct result of Kwik Trip’s commitment to their mission. One of the Store Leaders chose to see a person with a disability for their capabilities and the value they could add to the store. There was also a need to have dedicated staff to serve customers, as the range of functions Guest Services Coworkers had to manage could sometimes get in the way of the level of service excellence they strived for, particularly during busier times. 

In partnership with Wisconsin’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), they designed a position, along with a training and recruitment plan, to hire people with disabilities, making a difference in their lives, too. The model was soon replicated in Minnesota and Iowa. 

Since Minnesota VRS started partnering with the Retail Helper program in 2013, employment through Kwik Trip has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of Minnesotans with disabilities. In the past 12 months, 29 MN VRS program participants have been hired at Kwik Trip, working as cashiers, in food service or retail. Overall, there are more than 200 people with disabilities employed through the Kwik Trip Retail Helper program in Minnesota! Some have been with the company for many years and advancing in their careers.

Take Alan, for example. He started in 2018 at one of the Kwik Trips in Duluth, Minnesota, doing maintenance. He soon started showing a passion for understanding how all the machines worked and quickly became “the machine guru on the team,” as per Alecia, his Store Leader, who started relying on Alan as a resource. 

Eventually, Alan was ready to transition to full-time work. Alecia, knowing his potential, supported the transition by training him on register duties – which Alan took on successfully. 

“He’s crucial to the daily operations of the store. If there was an ever an MVP at our store, it would be Alan,” said new Store Leader Sam. “His energy is infectious. Every day starts with Alan’s signature catch phrase, ‘Are you ready for a fun and exciting day!?’”

From a young age, Stephanie LoRusso focused on everything she could achieve, even when others believed her disabilities would limit her. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, she was constantly told she wouldn’t be able to do hard things—her high school guidance counselor even said she didn’t have what it takes to make it through college. Stephanie responded, “watch me!” and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in vocational rehabilitation, plus a Master of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. Without VRS in her school, she often felt alone and misunderstood, navigating challenges by herself. That lived experience led her to Minnesota VRS, where she connects with participants and shows what’s possible. With support from her first manager, Thant Pearson, she gained confidence, found technology, and secured accommodations.

Sarah J. once thrived as a mountain biker, skier, and engineer, but her life changed dramatically after a 2015 biking accident caused neurological complications, including severe photophobia. “I look at a screen and it’s just like a flashlight. There’s nothing but a bright light. I can’t discern anything on it anymore,” she explained. Everyday essentials like phones and computers became inaccessible.

That’s when Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) stepped in. With their accessible, barrier-free support, she began learning braille and using screen readers, slowly regaining confidence. “SSB’s resources, offered at no cost, helped me rebuild my confidence. I progressed from painstakingly reading 30 braille pages to confidently navigating novels,” she said.

Today, Sarah is writing a therapeutic novel, working part-time with the Minnesota Youth Ski League, and finding new ways to connect with her community. She credits SSB and the blind community for reminding her that resilience and adaptability know no bounds. “Yes, everything is challenging, but everything is also possible.”

Taylor Corporation is a global leader in the communications industry and one of the largest companies of its kind, offering printed products, digital services and integrated technology solutions. They have been a valued partner for the South Central UAA and Minnesota VRS, hosting weekly hands-on training that allow students to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real-life working environments. Their scale and expertise make them an ideal partner for training and employing future talent.

Participants in the South Central UAA complete an eight-week training program to become printing press operators. They then take part in a two-week job tryout at Taylor Corporation, giving both students and the employer the chance to assess job fit, explore opportunities for skill development and find future career paths within the company. This structured approach ensures that students can apply classroom learning in real workplace settings, while employers get the benefit of well-prepared, motivated workers.

At the conclusion of the 2025 program, five UAA graduates were hired to work at Taylor Corporation. 

Jacob Ritter believes the best part of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is that if you’re willing to do your part, the rest will come naturally. “If you really want to put in the work and effort, VR is really for you,” he shared. While in high school, Jacob received Pre-Employment Transition Services and was introduced to a job-exploration program in IT. He soon enrolled in the Four Rivers Career Center’s IT and cybersecurity training program, where he discovered his passion for the field. With support from VR’s progressive employment program—offered in collaboration with the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles and MERS Goodwill—Jacob secured an IT position with Compass Health Network. His counselor, Dina Brockman, also helped him with certification and résumé writing, always providing encouragement. Jacob excelled in his role and transitioned to permanent employment with Compass Health. Looking ahead, he hopes to advance in the company and deepen his work in cybersecurity. “It’s like being a detective to find breaches before they happen. It’s intriguing,” Jacob said.

Ansur Adams has dealt with many challenges throughout his life—unemployment, poverty, mental health issues, addiction, and incarceration. He never thought he would get through it all, but instead he has turned his life around. “It’s been a process,” he said. Driven by a desire to help others, Ansur pursued a degree in social work, particularly focused on supporting at-risk youths and ex-offenders, believing his own experiences would make him a stronger social worker. With guidance, counseling, and financial assistance from VR, he received encouragement to follow his passion and support even through the difficult times. VR covered his tuition, books, fees, a computer for his classes, and the costs of his credentialing, ultimately enabling him to earn a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Today, Ansur is a licensed professional counselor and works as a program development manager with Powerhouse Community Development. Grateful for his journey, he now wants to give back, helping others stay on the right path and avoid going down the road he once traveled.