Melissa is always Thinking Team First. She does this every month but recently showcased this fundamental numerous times. On one occasion, a staff member in a different group needed to go home early due to sudden illness. Melissa volunteered to put her project on hold and jump into this other group, successfully leading a group of individuals she had never worked with before in their daily activity, all while keeping them fully engaged. Melissa has personally voiced her desire to help the team often, even when this means accepting tasks that are outside of her typical day to day responsibilities. I have personally seen her Go The Extra Mile quite a bit over the past month, especially considering our van run. On four or five different occasions, in addition to the days she already drives for the run, unexpected absences or sudden schedule changes have left us without a van driver on extremely short notice. I have run to Melissa each and every time, and she stepped right up to Go the Extra Mile and take on this role each time without complaint. She Delivers Legendary Service and always remembers to Be Positive, always laughing and keeping smiles on the individuals’ faces. These are just a few of the reasons that I have nominated Melissa Vargo to be The Way of The Arc Champion.
Children who have a sibling with ASD are at a higher risk of also having an autism spectrum disorder.