Monday, June 21st marked the evening for our second walk into downtown New Brunswick with Mr. Don Potenski, Manager of the Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center. This evening six students: Mss. Geneva Thompson, W. May Paul, Tina Scordo, Donna Myrick, and Mr. Ray Frazier and David Thompson accompanied Don on the walk to Starbucks to sit and chat.
The topics discussed included a proposal for another Family Day, the purpose and distribution of maintenance money, taking class excursions, the need for additional staff at JKRC, and having night time mobility classes.
Don enthusiastically delved into addressing each issue put before him. First, we all agreed to having another Family Day in the near future so that we could invite our families. We also thought it might be nice having Family Day quarterly thereafter. We discussed the Family Day presenters and menu and concluded that we should have a barbecue with staff instructors making presentations to our families. In planning for class trips, Don explained that planning must include all students and that no one is to be excluded because of limited accommodations.
Another
pertinent issue Don is addressing is the securing of additional staff. He
announced that a new assistant manager for him, Irving Adams, has recently come
on board soon. I asked him about re-opening the low-vision center. He
responded that the previous low-vision specialist, who worked part-time, left,
leaving a vacancy. He is seeking another low-vision specialist who will work
part-time in the low-vision center.
He is also looking to hire an arts and crafts teacher.
Another meaningful addition Don has on deck for us is to have at least one night-time mobility lesson for each student to better prepare us for real-life situations. He said, “Now, truthfully, this will not happen until Daylight Savings Time ends because I cannot ask the mobility teachers and students to go out at 9:00 or 10:00 at night. But when we change to EST, then I intend to initiate night-time mobility instruction.”
Don also addressed the issue of breakfast preferences. He stated that he saw no reason why the cafeteria staff could not operate as “short order cooks” for breakfast, thereby satisfying individual choices for cooking reasonable egg preferences.
“The Walk with Don” to Starbucks in the evening is an intimate, meaningful time for both students and Don. Don plans to continue this as often as possible. This evening that we spent with our manager gave us some insight into the energy and sincerityof the man who is at the helm of the JKRC. We not only saw “the planting of good seed” for the improvement of the JKRC program, we also saw the “watering” of how Don carries out his commitment. And his inclusion of our (the students’) input is part of the watering. Don reiterated that the purpose of the Manager’s Walk is to talk personally with us, not to us, and to be accessible in a meaningful and authentic way. His goal is to promote JKRC as not only a skills training center for blind and visually impaired adults, but to also as a “launching pad” for students to step out with a brand new or renewed spirit and with the tools needed for living a full life and finding meaningful employment. This achievement by our students will make JKRC “the best vision rehabilitation center in the country.”
