Marco Vivas is joining the team at Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital.
His journey thus far has been inspirational to family, friends and those he works with at the facility—who he now counts as friends, and vice versa.
They were all on hand Friday to celebrate their friend, and now coworker’s, completion of a special program to help special people find special work.
WE BUILD is Orlando Health’s paid internship program for those age 18 or older with unique developmental and learning abilities. The program is in its fourth year, and participants are mentored and guided through tasks that enhance their hard and soft learning skills. Many program graduates, like Vivas, 21, are hired as team members where they continue learning and growing in the health care environment while positively impacting the patient experience.
Vivas completed the Fall 2025 program and will soon join Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital as a parttime team member. During the program, he worked with the hospital’s Environmental Services team and Food & Nutrition team.
“I like cleaning and helping out the most,” Vivas said Friday. “Since I was 4 or 5 (years old) I wanted to work in a hospital and help people.”
Friday had all the feels of a graduation celebration, as Vivas—a huge superheroes fan—was presented with a Spiderman cake, his certificate for completing the program and assorted other gifts. He was joined by a couple dozen co-workers-to-be who are excited to welcome him to the team.
Renee Pancoast, WE BUILD program specialist, said the program serves as a way to serve the community by providing work to a demographic of up-and-coming workforce members with skills and a pathway to a job.
“It's very difficult for them to get jobs. So we provide this internship with all the different departments,” she said. “They can learn the heart of the soft skills to work in those departments because our goal is employment. That internship is a pathway to employment with Orlando Health.”
It’s about building—Vivas building skills while Orlando Health builds its team.
“I think the the most important thing is that he's working, he has a purpose,” Pancoast said. “He's accomplished something wonderful. He's working in two different departments (environmental services and in the kitchen). But I think more importantly for Marco is that he considers his team members, his friends, and they really fought for him to get that job.
“WE BUILD interns are loyal. They're hardworking. They're always looking for the next thing to do and the next thing to to learn. So these are the team members that everybody wants in their department. And the team leaders will all say that hese interns are incredible part of the family.”
Orlando Health conducts two WE BUILD sessions per year. Those interested can reach out to Pancoast at Renee. Pancoast@orlandohealth.com.
“We're always looking for opportunities for our interns or adults with unique abilities and all the hospitals throughout Orlando (Health),” she said. “If anybody's interested. I am happy, happy, happy to talk to them.”
