TAMPA – Students with learning disabilities are gaining essential life and job skills in a real-world environment at the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office.
They have a supportive bridge between school and adulthood thanks to a nearly 20-year partnership between Pepin Academies and the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office.
Through the Pepin Academies Transition Program, students ages 18 to 22 help digitize legal files, learn professional etiquette and take part in hands-on training for independent living, all within the walls of the legal office that represents people charged with crimes who can’t afford to hire their own attorneys.
What started with a cold call from a Pepin Academies administrator to then-Public Defender Julianne Holt has grown over the past two decades into a model of community collaboration.
“It just made sense,” said Holt, who immediately embraced the opportunity to support students with disabilities. “This has always been a true partnership and a powerful one.”
Jonathan Temaul, a Pepin graduate who started in the program years ago, now works in mail operations for the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office. Other graduates have landed jobs at Publix, Macy’s, Embassy Suites, University of South Florida, AdventHealth, Tampa General Hospital and The Florida Aquarium.
Now under the leadership of newly elected Public Defender Lisa McLean, the partnership is entering a new chapter. Hillsborough County has allocated $800,000 for a first-floor renovation project, and plans include a fully equipped teaching kitchen to enhance students’ hands-on learning experience.
“This partnership shows what’s possible when public institutions work together to invest in people,” McLean said. “We’re proud to support the students of Pepin Academies and help empower them to thrive.”
Set for completion next year, the new space will allow students to practice meal preparation and household tasks.
“This program is about building confidence, instilling responsibility and giving opportunity for independent, productive futures,” said Jeff Skowronek, executive director of Pepin Academies. “Parents often tell us they never imagined their child would hold a job or live on their own. Through this program, those things that are commonplace for many can be realized for them, too.”
