KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Jeff Pelly , specialized program support cordinator at Williamsport Area School District, speaks to students during Lycoming County EmployABILITY Day at Hughesville High School on Wednesday.

The importance of using their voices to communicate what they need to succeed in whatever field they enter after graduation was the message area students at the annual “Employability Day” heard from keynote speaker Jeff Pelly, specialized program support coordinator in the Williamsport Area School District.

Pelly shared his experiences growing up with dyslexia and dysgraphia which affected both his ability to read and write and how he struggled until his disabilities were diagnosed and he was able to seek accommodations to help him.

“Those accommodations really, really helped put me on that road so that I would have some success,” he said.

“The biggest thing that I learned was how to advocate for myself and that is really what we’re here to talk about today — self-advocacy,” he added.

Students from the Montgomery Area, Loyalsock. East Lycoming and South Williamsport school districts attended the event held at the Hughesville Jr./Sr. High School.

Pelly emphasized again and again the importance of self-advocacy-“making sure your voice is heard.”

“If I’m reading those definitions, it says the ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you. Self advocacy means that you can explain what you need and why you need it,” he said.

“Also, while being confident, it’s a skill that you have to practice, and you’re not going to be able to advocate for yourself perfectly the first time, but after you do it for a while, it’s going to be easier and easier, and you’re never going to stop advocating for yourself,” he added.

He continued by explaining that there are three steps to self-advocating — knowing yourself, knowing what helps, and, most importantly, knowing how to get what you need.

“When we’re talking about knowing yourself, that’s knowing what your strengths are, but also what things that you might need. It’s really, really important to know what you’re challenged by and how you best learn,” he said.

“We also need to know what helps,” he said.

Pelly explained that could mean using an accommodation or assistive technology to help with tasks.

All of those things are going to help you as you go along, for more education and training and into the workforce as well,” he said.

The final aspect of self-advocacy, Pelly said, is making sure that you get the accommodations needed.

“And when we’re talking about asking you don’t have to go in and be nasty to your teachers or to a prospective employer, you simply say, I need a little bit of extra support,” he said.

He cautioned the students that the supports that they might have in high school don’t follow into the post-secondary experience and that’s why it’s important for students to continue to make sure their voice is heard no matter what their career path

“The supports that you may receive right here today aren’t going to be there unless you ask for them,” he said.

“It’s a federal law that makes sure that you have supports if you need them, but no one’s going to know your story unless you use your voice,” he said.

As part of Employability Day, the students meet business owners in the community who describe what they do and also what they are looking for when seeking new employees.

Colby Alpaugh, owner of Two Guys Mowing, Muncy explained what characteristics he looks for when hiring someone.

“The skills are good communication with other co-workers, hard-working, showing up on time and then problem solving. That’s pretty much the gist of it,” Alpaugh said.

He explained that a new employee would not need experience with mowing because he likes to train his workers the way that he wants things done.

“So just hard working and showing up on time and good communication,” he said.

The students could also visit with representatives from the military and law enforcement and West Haven Technology.

Some students visited Rooted and Grounded, a local coffee shop to meet with the owner and observe some of the operations.

Tony Graybill, owner of the business, said that although his employees are trained in the technicalities of making and serving coffee, he looks for people who work well with the public,”treating people like they are humans” and “caring about the people they’re caring for.”