Hustle and HEart

“There’s nothing like hearing a baby’s first cry — it’s such a precious moment to witness,” said E’Vonne Gipson to a rapt audience at the 2025 Houston Methodist Fall Scholars closing program this past December. She was reflecting on her eight weeks as a Fall Scholar in the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land.

Gipson and fellow members of the 2025 Fall Scholars cohort joined family, mentors and hospital leadership to celebrate the term’s successful conclusion. Conceived by the Houston Methodist Office of Culture & Engagement in 2024, the annual internship provides nonclinical, hands-on work experience for participants, all of whom are early-career individuals with a disability.

“Houston Methodist has created a space where people with disabilities can feel empowered through meaningful work,” Gipson continued. “I hope many future scholars will get to experience what we did.”

Sydney Hodge, a fellow Fall Scholar, spoke of her role in the breast cancer unit at Houston Methodist West Hospital. “I enjoyed getting to know the patients and helping them during a difficult time,” she said. “I also grew my independent skills. I want to continue to work because helping others makes me feel good about myself!”

Across the United States, one in four adults is born with or develops a disability at some point in his or her lifetime. These over 70 million Americans experience unemployment rates more than double those of adults without disabilities — a gap driven not by personal potential but by access and opportunity. For many families, the Fall Scholars program represents a hopeful and long-awaited shift.

“As parents, we all want to know that our children will find happiness and fulfillment long after we’re gone,” said Dan Furnish, father of Fall Scholar Ryan Furnish, who worked in supply chain management and now volunteers at Houston Methodist West. “Discovering a program that embraces different needs and abilities was a godsend. We are deeply grateful to Houston Methodist for opening this door of possibilities.”

For Hilario Barron, this open door led to a deepened interest in information technology (IT) at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. “At home, I’ve always been the tech support for my family,” he said. “Seeing how those same skills could support patients and doctors was incredibly rewarding. It showed me how essential IT is to every part of the hospital.”

Arianne Dowdell, JD, Houston Methodist vice president and chief culture and engagement officer, and Nazia Imrose, Fall Scholars program manager, further reflected on the program’s broader purpose and its role in shaping workplace culture. “At the end of the day, we all want to feel good about ourselves and the work we do,” said Dowdell. “If we can learn to accommodate people and ask what they need, we enable them to perform at their best.”

Looking ahead, the team is seeking philanthropic partnership to expand the program while still maintaining its intimate cohort size and strong mentorship structure. Their long-term vision is to create a path to sustained employment following the internship. Two members of the 2024 cohort have already secured positions with Houston Methodist, and others have flourished with external organizations.

What the farewell event made clear to everyone present was the exceptional determination and sincerity each Fall Scholar brought to his or her work. “You can learn the skills,” said program mentor Connie Ortega, director of supply chain management at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital. “But you need to have hustle and heart in what you do to find success. These scholars have it.”