The University of Pittsburgh hosted 13 students from Franklin Regional School District as they participated in Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 16. Disability Mentoring Day is a nationwide effort to promote career development for students with disabilities through hands-on career exploration. The effort began in 1999 and takes place annually on the third Wednesday of October.

The Franklin Regional students toured Panther Central, University Mailing Services and the University Store on Fifth in the morning, where they received Pitt IDs, learned how to use student mailboxes and explored the ins and outs of running and working in a retail space. In the afternoon, representatives from the Office of Human Resources, Department of Athletics and Office of Diversity and Inclusion met with the students to talk about what they do at Pitt, assist with resume building and practice mock interviews. They also enjoyed lunch together and took pictures with Roc.

The day-long event was hosted by Pitt’s human resources office. Organizers included Tom Armstrong, Veterans and Individuals with disABILITIES recruiter, and Sarah Morgan, talent acquisition manager.

“It was a pleasure to host Franklin Regional students—they were engaging, thoughtful and such a delight,” Morgan said. “We are always happy to help our community members discuss career paths and jobs at Pitt, but this particular event gave us the chance to meet students that we might not otherwise have had the chance to meet. It was a great day.”

“Disability Mentoring Day was a real opportunity to introduce the kids to the different departments at Pitt so that they can get an idea of what everyone does around the University. We were proud to be asked to participate with the rest of the organizations in Pittsburgh, and we hope to continue to develop this event in the years to come,” said Armstrong.