FARMINGTON — Thirty-two area youth with disabilities gathered at the University of Maine in Farmington on Oct. 21 to participate in Disability Mentoring Day. Western Maine Community Action Career Center invited local employers and professionals to share information about their careers with students and job seekers.

Among those who presented were Kathy Davis from Franklin Memorial Hospital, Marc Rodrique from Vocational Rehabilitation, Ernie Gurney from New Beginnings, Peter Sullivan from the Career Center, Elyse Pratt-Ronco Ph. D from the University of Maine Farmington, Corey Nuzzo and Del Downes from Western Maine Community Action and Chrissie Poulson, a local musician.

Coordinators also organized on-site visits to area businesses and the youth will have the opportunity to learn about careers that interest them by job shadowing.

Disability Mentoring Day is a large-scale national effort to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration and on-site job shadowing.