HART CAREER SPECIALIST HONORED.

Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Ron Rudzinski is not disabled, yet he has made it his lifetime goal to make sure people with disabilities can find employment.

During 20 years of working with special-education students in the William S. Hart Union High School District, Rudzinski realized that students with disabilities often did not get a fair shake when it came to finding employment.

So he decided to try to level the playing field a bit.

Through the Career Visions Program, Rudzinski works with the district's high school juniors and seniors, helping them get training to prepare for job hunting.

In recognition of his work with students and for his co-founding of the Santa Clarita Valley Mayor's Committee for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, the state presented Rudzinski with its seldom-conferred Distinguished Service Award. The event was held Thursday at the Hyatt Valencia.

``I'm a little unsettled about being singled out, but I'm very excited about our program's getting recognition,'' said Rudzinski.

The Hart district's career education specialist stressed that any progress he has made to make employment easier for disabled people was a team effort.

Rudzinski started as a special-education teacher at Canyon High School 20 years ago.

``I just felt a calling to that, and once I got started, I knew that this was my niche,'' he said.

Rudzinski saw his students struggle to find employment after graduation and knew something had to be done to help them make the transition into the job market.

The rate of unemployment among the disabled is 67 percent, compared with 3 percent for the general public.

``It bothers me when I see resources being wasted, and people are our most-valuable resource,'' Rudzinski said.

Through the Career Visions Program, Rudzinski works with students to help them acquire training in preparation for job placement.

Canyon High School junior Adrianne Akers counts herself among those who have benefited from the career program.

Akers was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, an illness that weakened the muscles that move her joints, requiring her to use a wheelchair most of the time.

Rudzinski gave Akers a job in his office, and through the program she learned job skills basics: how to fill out a resume, answer interview questions and handle work situations.

``He gave me my first job, and I thought that was really great. It made me feel like I was moving ahead in my life,'' Akers said. ``He's done so much for so many people that I think he definitely deserves an award.''

A lot of people apparently felt the same way.

The California Governor's Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons received so many letters touting Rudzinski's achievements it decided to upgrade the award for which he was nominated, organizers said.

He instead was singled out for the Distinguished Service Award, which is given sparingly in recognition of an individual who has made extraordinary contributions on local, state and national levels for the employment of people with disabilities.

``It's his passion - he gives 150 percent to make sure that people with disabilities have a fair attempt at getting a job,'' said co-worker Portia Boord. ``He doesn't want them to have special treatment, just to be treated fairly.''

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Career education specialist Ron Rudzinski of the William S. Hart Union High School District has received the state's distinguished-service award for his progress in making employment easier for the district's disabled students.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer