Bergen Community College

Margarita Hernandez Tapia, of New Milford, graduated from the Direct Support Professional (DSP) program at Bergen Community College. Prior to entering the DSP program, Hernandez Tapia, who holds a bachelor’s degree in education, worked as an art teacher and a dance folklore teacher. She wanted to switch careers from education to human services.

“The DSP program was the best decision of my life because it gave me a clear purpose and the hands-on training to succeed in human services,” said Hernandez Tapia who felt that attending Bergen was the best option to receive an education along with student support. The program provided supportive faculty and practical experience with a DSP internship.

“I most enjoyed the dedicated professors who went out of their way to provide personalized support and ensure I truly understood the course material,” said Hernandez Tapia.

Appreciative of the faculty in the DSP program, Hernandez Tapia credited DSP success coach Haley Andresen for her time and support and instructor Karen Gutshall for her teaching abilities. “Haley Andresen always takes the time to help and support each student,” she said. “Karen Gutshall is such an amazing teacher.”

The DSP program provided Hernandez Tapia with the opportunity to participate in a DSP internship where she was able to obtain practical experience in the field. Hernandez Tapia served as an intern with Alpine Learning Group, a special education school in Paramus.

“This internship was an exciting milestone because it connected my DSP classes to real life,” she said. “It let me use what I learned in school directly with the adult learners.”

During her internship at Alpine Learning Group, Hernandez Tapia actively supported adult learners by facilitating skill-building lesson plans, leading group activities, creating customized instructional materials, and managing daily schedules. She conducted site visits to observe employment support systems, participated in clinical team meetings to review learner progress, and systematically collected, documented, and validated behavioral and learning data through interobserver agreement (IOA).

Hernandez Tapia’s internship experience helped her observe and support adult learners in the field. “Watching adult learners gain the confidence to try new things and successfully master new skills is deeply inspiring,” she said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the direct, positive impact of my work when a learner can master a daily task, participate in a group activity, or participate in community trips with greater independence.”

“Working with the team at Alpine Learning Group showed me different career paths and made my schoolwork much easier to understand,” said Hernandez Tapia. “Seeing and interacting with the learners every day proved my true passion to dedicate my career to helping individuals with disabilities.”

Hernandez Tapia felt that the internship helped develop and fine-tune her professional skill sets. “This internship was a major milestone for my professional development,” she said. “It taught me important job skills like collecting data and writing session notes.”

The internship experience also helped build Hernandez Tapia’s confidence. “Leading group activities and community trips reinforced my confidence because it showed me that I can handle challenges on my own,” she said. “Most importantly, seeing and interacting with the learners every day showed me that I truly love this career.”

As Hernandez Tapia transitions to the DSP profession, she knows that she has selected the right career in human services. “Knowing that my support helps individuals advocate for themselves, succeed at their job sites, and live more autonomous lives gives my experience deep purpose and encourages me to show up at my best every day,” she said.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 24,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

# # #