RECOGNIZING LEADERS IN DIVERSITY—Advancing Opportunities, Inc., a provider of services and supports for people with disabilities, recently presented its Champion of Inclusion Award to David Kovacs, CEO of Allegra, a printing and marketing company in Cranbury, N.J., for providing Colin Rogers with an internship opportunity. Shown are (from left): José Cruz, Digital Production Manager, intern Colin Rogers, Allegra CEO David Kovacs, Advancing Opportunities CEO Jack Mudge, and Pre-press Manager, Jason Booth.
Advancing Opportunities, Inc., was pleased to present Allegra of Cranbury with its Champions of Inclusion Award for recognizing the value of a diversified workforce and providing an internship for a student who has autism. Allegra worked with Advancing Opportunities to provide a summer internship for a young man with autism interested in pursuing a career in graphic arts.
Colin Rogers is a student in the Graphic Arts Technology program at Mercer County Technical School. He has a passion for video games and would like to one day design them. Karl Craft, director of Advancing Opportunities’ Career Development Services program, worked with Colin to help him find an internship position that would allow him to further his graphic arts abilities and also utilize his skills in a real world setting. Allegra, a full service marketing, printing and mailing company, opened its doors to Colin and gave him a chance to experience what a career in graphic arts might be like.
During his internship with Allegra, one of Colin’s main responsibilities was getting print jobs ready for production. Working on a state-of-the-art computer, Colin reviewed files before they were printed, checking to make sure the sizing was correct and the resolution was perfect. Allegra’s CEO, David Kovacs, noted that Colin’s ability to focus and his keen eye for precise detail made him a good candidate for that specific role. Colin also flexed his creative muscles at Allegra by designing sample logos to illustrate how designs would look on different types of promotional materials.
Allegra’s pre-press manager, Jason Booth, worked daily with Colin and was quite impressed with both his technical skills and his vision. “Colin was very knowledgeable about Photoshop and the other programs he used. He also has a very creative mind and can put things together on the screen that looked really good,” he said.
“We established this award to recognize businesses that are creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities to join the workforce and contribute in their communities,” said Advancing Opportunities’ CEO, Jack Mudge. “David Kovacs and everyone at Allegra welcomed Colin. They gave him a chance to apply his skills, learn new things and experience working as a part of team. Together, we’re helping Colin take his first steps along what we hope is a long and satisfying career path.”
Allegra offers marketing and printing solutions, including graphic design, marketing strategy, full-color printing, signs, posters and banners, mailing services, promotional products, and online print management solutions.
For more information about Advancing Opportunities’ Career Development Services, which includes a full array of transition services for students who are in high school and postsecondary programs, email us at info@advopps.org.