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Shake Shack’s Isaiah Lombardo shares employment journey at Anniversary Conference

Full time Shake Shack Watertown staff member Isaiah Lombardo shared his employment journey and more as the Keynote Speaker at MDSC’s 40th Anniversary Conference at the DCU Center on March 23. “My life has been pretty amazing so far,” Isaiah shared. “I have been working since my junior year in high school. I have had […]

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Omar Masood, recipient of the Exemplary Employer Award

Omar Masood, founder and president of Omar’s World of Comics, was named MDSC’s Exemplary Employer at our 40th Anniversary Conference on March 23 at the DCU Center. The award was presented on stage at the 40th Anniversary Awards Luncheon by Roxanne Hoke-Chandler, MDSC Honorary Board member and Joshua Komyerov, Director of Communications & Operations. “I’m […]

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John Dunleavy, recipient of the Philip Donahue Employee of the Year Award

Named after Philip Donahue, who retired in 2022 after 27 years of loyal service to Market Basket, MDSC’s Employee of the Year Award was presented at the MDSC 40th Anniversary Conference at the DCU Center on March 24. The honor went to Boston Bruins veteran employee John Dunleavy of Winchester. After 13 years in his […]

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Kessler Foundation: People with disabilities reached new employment levels in 2022, outperforming their peers without disabilities

According to a new report by the Kessler Foundation and the  University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD), 2022 was “a remarkable and historic time for the employment of people with disabilities.” The group released their National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) 2022 Year-End Special Edition, which, based on data from the U.S. Bureau […]

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MDSC awards inaugural Employee of the Year Award to Lowell’s Philip Donahue, who has worked at Market Basket more than 25 years

Burlington, MA. (May 1, 2022) – The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC), the premier resource for Down syndrome information, advocacy and networking in Massachusetts, is proud to present Philip A. Donahue of Lowell with MDSC’s inaugural Your Next Star Employee of the Year Award. Philip, 53, has worked at Market Basket for a total of […]

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Forbes: Collette Divitto, Cookie Entrepreneur, Stars In New Peacock Docuseries

Reprinted from Forbes online by Steven Aquino Contributor, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion NBCUniversal-backed Peacock launched an original documentary series late last month called Born for Business, which premiered on August 23. The show chronicles the journeys of four entrepreneurial disabled people who are running their own small business. In a press release, Peacock describes the series as “powerful” […]

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WBUR: Bill Aims To Increase College Access For Mass Students With Intellectual Disabilities

WBUR September 03, 2021 by Carrie Jung Ipswich resident Matthew Cullen said he knew he wanted to go to college since his early teens. “My friends and brother and sister went off to college, and I said, ‘Why can’t I?’ ” Cullen told lawmakers in a recent public hearing for the Massachusetts Joint Committee on […]

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Job Openings from YNS Employer Partners

Several of our employer partners through the Your Next Star Employment program are looking to fill positions with qualified candidates in our community. See below for more information. Daytime Custodian 4 hours/day (Schedule negotiable) Location: Canton, MA (off Route 138) Providing janitorial services in an active office building. Includes interacting with office employees in the […]

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Market Basket celebrates Phil’s 25 years of employment

With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, our Your Next Star ambassador Phil Donahue took some time off from his job at Market Basket in Tewksbury. However, he was invited back to Market Basket to celebrate his remarkable 25th Anniversary! So, after 3 months away from the store, Phil returned to celebrate with co-workers and […]

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On the cusp of adulthood

We are excited to share this powerful blog post from our Your Next Star collaborators, Work Without Limits, and written by AIM dad Scott Borchardt, a partner at PwC, another YNS collaborator. By Scott Borchardt Our daughter, Noelle, is on the cusp of adulthood. She’s an engaging 21-year-old with Down Syndrome, who is excited about […]

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Introducing A Tax-Smart Way to Save for Disability Expenses 

With the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, Americans with disabilities now have the opportunity to save and invest in a tax-advantaged account for short and long-term disability related expenses, without risking their disability benefits. An ABLE account is a smart way to save that supplements, rather than replaces, your Medicaid […]

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Your Next Star Ambassador Collette Divitto’s Business is Booming

We couldn’t be prouder of our Your Next Star Ambassador Collette Divitto, whose business is booming a year after the 27-year-old’s story went viral. As our YNS Ambassador, Collette is a shining example of what people with Down syndrome can do if given the opportunity. BOSTON (CBS) – You can’t blame Collette Divitto for feeling […]

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