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Luke Vieira is breaking barriers at the office of the state auditor

Round The Roundhouse article .pdf – Submitted by Lisa Collins and Caroline Buerkle – Jan 21, 2011

Luke Vieira is breaking barriers at the office of the state auditor

State Auditor Hector Balderas is proud to announce the addition of Luke Vieira to his staff. Luke works an hour each Tuesday and Friday as an office clerk with the help of his job coach, Robert Cruz. Luke with his bright smile and warm personality is hard to miss.

“I am committed to helping share work opportunities to individuals with disabilities; every individual deserves an opportunity to improve their quality of life,” Balderas said. Luke was sponsored by Community Options in Santa Fe and joined the State Auditor’s staff in September 2010.

Luke is a 25 year-old with autism. His parents, Orlando & Betty Jean Vieira, are very grateful that their son has this opportunity for work. Since receiving his diagnosis their dreams of him working were far-fetched. It had been a struggle to find work and his parents have had to be strong advocates for him, not wanting him to be a burden on society. This job has been a dream for the whole family. Luke loves coming to work and he knows what his money can buy, “books and Pepsi”.

“We are grateful to have Luke on our team,” Balderas said. “His great attitude and dedication makes our office a successful workplace.”