Success Stories
Louis Gentile
Today, Louis Gentile enjoys married life, a job as an assembler at K&L Microwave, and his position on the board of directors of the Epilepsy Association of the Eastern Shore.
Ten years ago, this might not have appeared possible.
When Louis began working at LSE, he sat by himself at break times. He answered questions in monosyllables. A year passed before Laurie Andrews, now director of client services and then a neighbor and friend, convinced him to talk at greater length.
“He was monotone in so many ways,” said Mrs. Andrews.
He was also scared, sometimes of relatively mundane events. If three teenagers approached him on a sidewalk, he saw them as a gang and crossed the street to safety. More profoundly, he was terrified of failing, fearful that the head injuries from a childhood sledding accident would prevent him from acting adeptly enough to succeed. So, his defense became withdrawal, trying constantly to be less of a target. After a minor employment accident in Baltimore, where a floor buffer he operated spun out of control and damaged a wall, he quit work and stayed home for nearly 15 years. He almost faded from view.
Louis spent seven years working at LSE, on an off-site maintenance team and even handled a floor buffer. He became a reliable worker and a leader among his peers. Then, he wanted a job of his own.
His job coach turned a weakness to a strength. Because of a disability, Louis remains obsessive about details. So, the job coach found him a job at K&L Microwave measuring ceramic resonators, which have a margin of error of less than a hairsbreadth.
The length of a ceramic resonator determines its frequency, so the length can only vary by two thousandths of an inch. Anyone measuring them needs attention to detail, and Louis has an advantage over anyone vying for his job.
Shortly after Louis joined K&L, the company suffered as the telecommunications industry slumped, and 150 workers were laid off from the 800-person staff.
The company kept Louis because he was so good at his job.
Then, another 50 workers were laid off. Again, Louis stayed.
When people’s abilities and interests match the needs of their job, careers can last a long time.
Inside Works
Salisbury University's Dining Services department proved how workers with disabilities compete and win in the market for jobs. When the department advertised 20 job openings at the start of one semester, it received over 300 applications. In the end, six of the workers hired had disabilities and were represented by LSE. Those six workers beat over 280 other applicants for those jobs.
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