Registration for 2018-2019 courses begins in early February.  This is the time some juniors and seniors are considering internships as part of the school day.

Internships are a great way to start learning about a job early. An internship can help you decide what type of career you want to go into–or don’t want.

According to Mrs. Jennifer Radil-Harris, Internship Coordinator, there are over 30 students in internship programs in 2017-2018.

The qualifications needed to be accepted for an internship are good attendance and a cooperative attitude.

Radil Harris said, “The student has to be well-behaved and a good student so that they can start an internship. It is important that they get good grades.”

The two most beneficial parts of an internship are meeting people in the field and networking. It is a great way to get to know people working in the same field as you want to and to build connections with people you might need in the future.

Another benefit of an internship is learning new skills.

“Students in internships develop good time management. They have to learn to balance school and the work required at their jobs. It can be difficult for them at the beginning, but they get used to it and learn to manage time better,” said Radil Harris.

Class of 2018 member, Natalie Kucsan is currently interning at New Market Elementary School in Mrs. Jennifer Heller’s kindergarten class. Kucsan wants to be a kindergarten teacher after college, so she decided to do this internship to learn more about the job.

“It is hard to manage a schedule at first, but once things start going it becomes very easy. Especially since it’s something I love doing. It’s not even a hassle,” she said.

He favorite part of the internship is working with children every day and learning more about being a kindergarten teacher.

Some students find out that the branch of internship they liked at the beginning of the year is not as interesting as they expected. They can change internships after first semester. This is also a good way to explore different businesses or companies.

Senior, Dawson Hewatt has been part of an internship as Bustin Boards Company. He has learned the process of making skateboards. He chose this company for his internship so he could learn more about real world experience and to use it for his college applications.

According to the bulletin board on Main Street, Hewatt said, “I believe internships are amazing opportunities to expand your knowledge.”

The internship has influenced him to pursue his goal of of owning a skateboard brand. He has made many new connections with people who have encouraged him to keep working and learning more about skateboards.  

He really enjoys the business side of the skateboard industry, skating in advertisement, and product design. There are a lot of different parts of internships, that students might not be aware of when they start, but once they start to figure the business out, its interesting to learn more about it.

Finding an internship can be difficult sometimes.

“A lot of people think that there is just a list of businesses looking for internships, or something like that, but when you want to apply for an internship you have to look for something you like on your own.” said Mrs. Radil-Harris.

Students are able to write that they are interested in doing an internship on their course registration sheets for the new school year. Then, they meet with Mrs. Radil Harris or Mr. Jeremy Brown to talk about options and where and when to apply.

Most students who are in internship programs are seniors, but some businesses are also open to juniors.

Internships make looking for a job much easier because the student has references. It can influence college acceptance, too. If a class in college requires certain hours, internships can be counted for the requirement.

It is a good idea to start early in a job field you will want to work for because you get to know more about it and will be more prepared for the future.

If you are interested in an internship, make sure to talk to Mrs. Radil-Harris and write it on your class registration.