RSA Scholar Program

Being an RSA scholar has helped my career in that it has given me hope for career advancement. Thanks to the RSA scholarship opportunity, I know that there will be more for me than teaching technology. I know that I will eventually obtain a job in vocational rehabilitation that will help me make a greater impact on the lives of people with disabilities.

Being an RSA scholar has helped me fast track, my career and rehabilitation through the specific coursework and the designation on my résumé.

Becoming an RSA scholar was life-changing for me. I am an adult learner returning to get a second masters degree in effort to make a career change. I know I could not have done it without this scholarship. It is becoming the catalyst for my dream job and my dream come true. Extremely grateful for this opportunity.

Being an RSA scholar has set me on the path to strengthening my counseling skills to better serve my consumers. In addition, it has given me a more thorough understanding of the vocational rehabilitation process. These things have led to increased confidence my ability to serve my consumers.

This program will help tremendously. I will be able to advance and not accrue more school debt. What I am learning will make me a more knowledgeable and confident counselor.

The RSA Program has assisted me in allowing me to afford my education, providing me with closer relationships with my peers, and giving me support throughout the whole journey as an RSA scholar. Being an RSA scholar, I had the opportunity to be involved in RSA meetings where the scholars got the opportunity to gather. One of my favorite experiences was when we had a meeting to discuss Payback and the team managed to make it an enjoyable and fun time. I remember meeting someone who was self-employed, and he educated me on Vocational Rehab work in a way I didn’t realize I could do! Just interacting with other scholars is always so enjoyable.

The RSA program has provided me with specialized coursework that has helped me build my knowledge base for my future career. Being an RSA scholar has provided me with great mentors and community opportunities.

The RSA program introduced me to a career path that I previously was unaware. Being a scholar prepared me to be confident in the work that I do assisting individuals with disabilities.

The RSA program provided me with unique and challenging coursework experiences that have helped me better understand the holistic nature of vocational evaluation and gave me a greater awareness of the spectrum of how disability can impact work. The financial support of the RSA scholarship allowed me to focus on completing my degree. I have loved getting to connect with other RSA scholars as colleagues.

The RSA program assisted me in forming the foundation for a career as a rehabilitation counselor. Specifically, through coursework, I developed competencies I utilize now on a daily basis. The RSA program was my first exposure to the field of rehabilitation counseling. Being a rehabilitation scholar allowed me to focus graduate coursework on the field of rehabilitation counseling. Because of the rehabilitation scholarship, I currently work in the field in several capacities.

The RSA Program assisted me financially with graduate school and I became aware of DVR. It provided assistance with finances for graduate school and experiences I have gained through my employment.

Beginning as a VR technician in 2018, Ashley was promoted to a Senior VR Transition Counselor prior to joining Sedgwick as an ADA Accommodations Specialist and, currently, serves as the company’s Workforce Absence Team Lead.

Through being involved with the RSA Program, I learned there was more to vocational counseling than working in a VR office. I received additional information on how certification in other areas of vocational rehabilitation could allow me to become a contractor to Florida VR. After fulfilling the necessary requirements, I was able to become self-employed and now have my own counseling firm. Two of the most positive aspects of being an RSA scholar are:1) receiving the scholarship money and 2) being shown how to become a contractor to VR, so that I could become self-employed.

The RSA scholarship and associated education have provided me with a base knowledge regarding rehabilitation services, policy, and counseling. It also resulted in a 10% bump in pay at my job

The RSA program introduced me to the world of Vocational Rehabilitation. I was unsure what area I wanted to go into after graduation until I learned about the program. I'm glad that I did the program and love my job as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. I love working with my students in assisting them with finding employment. I have enjoyed being an RSA scholar. I've met other RSA scholars through my job now as a vocational rehabilitation counselor which has been neat.

The RSA Program provided me with financial assistance and professional connections to allow me to get started as a voc rehab counselor.

I worked for the public and private VR system and I currently conduct comprehensive vocational evaluations and work site evaluations for the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as an independent contractor.

The RSA program has opened doors to networking with professors with rehabilitation expertise as well as cohorts with similar passions for serving individuals with disabilities.

I have learned so many things through the RSA program, just about the field of rehabilitation in general. Something I had very little knowledge about beforehand! It showed me the parts of rehabilitation that I was more interested in. Being an RSA Scholar has helped me get to the job I have today and has helped me connect with others in the field who are also RSA scholars!

I reference the benefits of being a RSA Scholar very often when working with 12th graders and reviewing the benefits of applying for any and all scholarships! Since graduating I am now also licensed as a mental health counselor and see clients through telehealth part-time.

The RSA program introduced me to the field of Vocational Rehabilitation, and I am forever grateful. I always knew I wanted to help people, but I just didn’t know in what capacity. Because of the RSA program, I learned about vocational rehabilitation, got the opportunity to network with rehabilitation professionals, and attended conferences such as the FRA (Florida Rehabilitation Association). I have been able to complete two practicums at James A Haley VA Hospital in the vocational rehabilitation department. I now work at the St. Petersburg Regional Office in the VR&E department which stands for Veteran Readiness and Employment as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

I am currently working as a Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor for Area 4. I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. The RSA Scholar program gave me the opportunity to advance in the field and become a competent professional.

RSA has provided additional training and education to better assist clients with their various vocational needs. No client is the same and working with a population with co-occurring disorders, the vocational training and support is required to best fit client needs. Giving clients hope and purpose for their future vocational goals by providing them the proper support and necessary resources.

So far, I feel very confident in handling my work duties because of what I learned in the RSA program. I also feel that the program provided me with opportunities to learn how to multi-task and stay organized. That may not sound important, but it definitely is when working with students. The skills I learned as an RSA scholar are skills I can use in any job.

The RSA Scholar program allowed me to focus on vocational rehabilitation and provided the peace of mind of being able to focus on my education for my future success. This program is great for networking, creating relationships, and ensuring those who want to focus on Vocational Rehabilitation services can do so, creating a stronger foundation for the beginning of their careers. 

The RSA scholar program helped me become a more qualified professional and the scholarship has helped me financially to afford a career in a field that I love. It helped me focus more on my studies and grow as a professional in the field of vocational rehabilitation. The RSA program has helped me gain more experience as a rehabilitation professional. The additional classes we take go more in-depth and help us gain a deeper understanding of the needs of people with disabilities and help us become more qualified.

Suresh received his master’s degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling with graduate certification in Integrative Mental Health Counseling from the University of South Florida. He holds valid Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern licensure with the State of Florida and is nationally certified as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), which grants him the credibility to practice career counseling.

It inspired me to work in rehabilitation and I now specialize in working with teens and adults with autism. Being able to connect with others who share a common purpose and learning the skills required to support individuals with disabilities.