Jadyn Rudd is one determined young woman

 

Born legally blind, Jadyn attended the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired,  graduating in 2017. When she heard about Bosma’s Student Training and Employment Program (STEP), she was all in.

She was assigned to the Indiana State House where she worked in different departments doing clerical work like answering phones, filing, and scanning. She discovered she was capable of doing things she never thought possible.

The STEP experience motivated her to enroll in Ivy Tech (Madison) where she graduated two years later with an associate’s degree in General Studies. During her last year at Ivy Tech, the pandemic hit and turned everyone's world upside down.

Yet, Jadyn found a virtual internship in the Eskinazi Health VolunTEEN Program for teens considering a career in the healthcare sector. “It was very interesting, especially the seminars with doctors and nurses, but this still wasn’t what I was looking for,” she said. 
 
She was determined to keep moving forward. She didn’t know what she wanted but she knew she would figure it out.

“My goal was to be able to live on my own and have a stable job, “said Jadyn who had been living at home. She knew she couldn’t do it without sharpening her adaptive skills.

She applied for Bosma’s Rehab program. “It’s not like I was starting at ground zero, but I definitely got what I needed - and then some! Personal management, Orientation & Mobility, technology, manual skills – I gained so much,“ Jadyn said. 

She visited Bosma employees in various departments to expose her to different career possibilities, but it wasn’t until she spoke with Brian Petraits, Director of Manufacturing, that something clicked. He told her Bosma needed additional help in the kitting department. They went to the warehouse and grabbed a supervisor who asked, “Can you read this? Can you lift this?” Jaydn replied, “Yes, I can! I need magnification for reading but I can do it all.”

“Jadyn is going to do everything she wants to do. Her great attitude makes it happen,” said Natalie Weisenbach, Bosma Employment Specialist.

"I started working in August of 2022 and love my job! I discovered that I really enjoy doing something physical, instead of sitting at a desk,” she said.

All her searching, positivity, and determination paid off. Jadyn just moved into her first apartment. “I am more than excited! It’s so fun fixing it up and being independent, she said.
 
“Blindness may pose challenges but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything. Before you know it, you can go from Rehab to an amazing job, like I did!” – Jadyn Rudd