Dan McManmon enjoyed growing up in the Berkshires but has a newfound appreciation for the area now that he is raising a family of his own. He has been involved with the College Internship Program (which his father, Michael McManmon, founded in 1984) for a good portion of his life, and is now the President and Director of Marketing. Not only does he find his work incredibly rewarding, but he says it has also has helped with own self-esteem and allowed him to further define who he is. I was born in Stockbridge and grew up in Lee. I went to school in Vermont where I had a knee injury. During the downtime from having knee surgery, I started my career at College Internship Progam (CIP). In 2007, I moved to Berkeley, California to assist with the opening of our fourth CIP site. My wife and I moved back to Great Barrington in 2010 after the birth of our son Marlow and we've resided in the Berkshires ever since. Upon returning with a new family (and after three years away), we sort of saw the Berkshires with fresh eyes and that it was a great place to raise kids. CIP provides comprehensive full-year educational programs for young adults on the autism spectrum and with learning differences such as ADHD. Our program offers a small tight-knit community setting and we individualize the services and supports we offer based on each student's unique needs. The students learn to live independently in an apartment setting while attending our center for group and individual classes, Berkshire Community College and working in internships within local area businesses. Since the beginning, we've been based on the theory of normalization and believe that people learn best when immersed in real-life settings with structure and support. I was involved in the business at a young age, but I officially became an employee in the summer of 2005. I started as a part-time life skills staff acting as a mentor to our students, teaching skills such as cooking, cleaning, laundry and helping facilitate social activities on the weekend. On my first day, I realized more than ever just how important CIP's work is. Our students were so eager to ask questions and understand things, and although their naivety was refreshing, at the same time it hindered their ability to navigate social situations such as job interviews or making friends. For the past 10 years we've grown to six CIP locations in Massachusetts, Florida, Indiana, New York and California. My father is planning his retirement as we complete our 30th year of operation and I am very excited about the future. It is heartening to hear such positive feedback on a regular basis about the importance of the work we do. This region is really special because of the mix of small, medium and large businesses with a focus on health, wellness and craft culture. People are genuine here and enjoy the more important things in life such as family, the outdoors, community and a focus on health and well being.
