United Airlines, Special Olympics partner to hire workers at Denver airport

Four United Airlines employees talking about their jobs sound like the kind of workers that bulk companies would love to snap up they arrive early for work they re praised for being helpful and they have to be reminded to put in for vacation The four are among employees across United s system who have taken on new careers through a collaboration with Special Olympics that airline spokesman Russell Carlton called an industry first United started the Special Olympics Utility Ambassador campaign in in Chicago during National Disability Employment Awareness Month and expanded it to Denver Houston and Washington D C Plans are underway to hire Special Olympics athletes at United hubs in Los Angeles San Francisco and Newark The Special Olympics ambassadors who work part-time as customer institution representatives for United at Denver International Airport just now marked their fourth year on the job Helene Carmona Schmidt also a customer representative works directly with the four employees and is a mentor to them I don t like calling this a plan because it truly is a pathway of employment There is no end date Schmidt reported They are truly employed by United Airlines and they get all the benefits The ambassadors applied for the positions and shadowed other United employees on the job before joining the staff They are wholly mainstreamed Schmidt explained Before working at DIA Hanna Ecstasy Atkinson Chris McElroy Cody Field and David Riley all distinguished themselves through their participation with Special Olympics Colorado They ve traveled across the country and around the world to competitions and brought home medals They speak at events and serve as leaders for other athletes Field of Centennial a Special Olympics snowboard and skier scored a gig as a reporter at WWE s WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia in I was the first-ever society impact correspondent at WrestleMania XL he commented going on to name particular of his wrestling idols that he met Field is excited about his job with United Along with the other three he helps people print out bag tags and other items they need He gives travelers directions and summons other customer representatives when needed There s a lot of things I love about this job especially when I m truly helping with customers Field noted McElroy of Aurora has been a Special Olympics athlete since middle school competing in swimming soccer floor hockey flag football bowling and golf In he won a gold medal in swimming at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles Special Olympics athlete Chris McElroy assists United Airlines customers with the check-in process at Denver International Airport in Denver on Thursday Oct United s Special Olympics Operation Ambassador project is an industry-first that gives Special Olympics athletes the opportunity to earn part-time employment with full employee benefits Photo by Hyoung Chang The Denver Post When it comes to working for United Airlines McElroy stated This is my No job ever McElroy noted he arrives to work about an hour before his shift and gets everything situated and ready to go His favorite part of the job Having him as a boss McElroy declared gesturing to Stephen Stoute United s managing director of customer system in Denver They keep me in line Stoute replied They sometimes quiz me on things The band is really in tune with what it is we look for here in Denver and at United Airlines On a latest shift the four employees were in the lobby helping travelers print out and attach bag tags and boarding passes and steering people to where they needed to go Atkinson of Littleton reported she takes her work seriously At the end of the day I would do absolutely anything and everything I can to improve the quality of my job for the same of my squad Atkinson disclosed Away from work Atkinson is busy representing Special Olympics where she has competed in swimming basketball and cycling She is an alumni reporter for Lady Gaga s Channel Kindness where three of her stories were published in the book Channel Kindness Atkinson s favorite part of her job in customer institution is making a difference in the lives of people traveling through the airport Sometimes people are in a rush I like to make their lives a little bit less stressful Riley of Centennial has been a Special Olympics athlete since he was years old He has competed in track and field softball volleyball and basketball and is part of an athlete leadership activity He also works at Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games as an usher or taking tickets Special Olympics athlete David Riley right assists United Airlines customers with the check-in process at Denver International Airport in Denver on Thursday Oct United s Special Olympics Operation Ambassador scheme is an industry-first that gives Special Olympics athletes the opportunity to earn part-time employment with full employee benefits Photo by Hyoung Chang The Denver Post At United Riley enjoys working with Stoute He s a very nice boss What he likes about the job is interacting with the passengers I like talking to them and asking them where they re going on their flights Riley stated I tag their bags and car seats and like seeing people with their little ones Related Articles Air travelers brace as FAA s flight cuts ratchet up at DIA and other airports More than Denver flights canceled as DIA s air traffic controllers work without pay Colorado flight attendant sues United Airlines over pilot s revenge porn sexual harassment DIA seeks to pay air traffic controllers wages as airport braces for FAA s flight reductions First memorial to Flight bombing one of Colorado s deadliest mass murders unveiled in Denver Schmidt revealed the four are held to the same rules and expectations as other United employees It s meaningful work for these young adults that they can take on to make it bigger and better Megan Scremin president and CEO of Special Olympics Colorado announced the four have shown that individuals with disabilities deserve as much opportunity to be in the workplace as everyone else does and that they are fully capable of being productive excellent company members and employees Scremin believes seeing people with disabilities working in such visible positions might expand the population s perceptions about what people with disabilities can do I think every individual interaction that Cody and Hanna and Chris and David are having with people within the airport has a ripple effect Scremin stated This is a job that they have earned and they are keeping through their work and their commitment to their leaders within United Airlines