By Sami Lachgar,
News Editor
In an educational system where students spend time in classes listening to lectures while furiously scribbling down notes, many have forgotten that students are learning in order to gain marketable skills for the future rather than just taking a class in order to get through high school.
While some classes such as auto-tech and various computer courses provide sought-after skills in today’s job market, the internship program takes learning a step further and allows students to become immersed in the real world. Interning while in high school provides skills which can allow students to head straight into the work force out of high school.
Furthermore, working as an intern in fields ranging from dentistry to education allows students to find out whether or not they are actually interested in that particular subject. This serves as an alternative to spending money for classes in college only to realize that time and money have been wasted on areas that do not really interest the student.
Senior Summer Saunders learned about the internship opportunities at Reynolds High School and immediately became involved.
“I work in the Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy gym every day and I wear scrubs; I really enjoy it,” Saunders said.
The internships must be approved by the school and provide regular course credit following completion. Classwork assignments surrounding interning vary from completing a log about your experience to teaching a class for a week when the program is completed.
Junior Hope Arcuri is interested in becoming a teacher cadet next year.
“The teacher cadet program seems like something that can really help you decide on whether you want to have a future in teaching,” she said. “It just sounded like something really interesting that could further my passion for teaching students.”
The teacher cadet program serves as a way for high school students to serve as assistant teachers in different schools and widen their exposure to teaching in a classroom setting while picking up real-world experience. Becoming an intern is for anyone who wants to learn more about a specific field. The school serves as a pathway to attaining these internships in places of interest to students.
“I want to go to college to get a degree in elementary education and my internship at Whitaker Elementary School allows me to become used to the job and made me love working with kids even more,” senior Shannon Burns said.
For many students, internships are a way to pounce into the real world before going to college to receive a degree, but they also signify an attempt being made by students to search for their true passion and prepare themselves for the realities of working in the real world. They give students a head start on the job search, and groom students to attain marketable qualities which can be valuable in a downhill economy.
For students choosing what classes to take next year, it might be a good idea also to think about the learning possibilities created by internships and the amount of marketable skills they might be able to provide.