by: William Weiss, Monticello High School Summer Communications Intern
First jobs can be scary but everyone eventually faces having to enter the workforce. Your first job can either leave a sour taste in your mouth or can provide valuable experience and get you ready for future careers. Monticello High School summer internships are the pinnacle of the latter.
My name is William Weiss, Jr. and I am working as a communications intern at Monticello High School during the summer months. When I found out that I got the internship, I was excited. I was going to be able to earn money rather than having to bother my parents for things I wanted. However, not long after I began to worry a little bit; I had never worked a job before and what if I wasn’t prepared? Once I began my internship all these worries faded away. Monticello High School provided me with everything I needed for success, such as computer skills, the importance of being on time, and remaining open-minded. The summer internship showed me how what I learned in school is applicable to jobs. Monticello’s summer internships have made me more confident than ever in my future in such a short time. Don’t just take my word for it though; take a look at what these people have to say about the program!
Mrs. Bahrenburg works at Monticello High School as an Academy of Finance teacher, also running the summer internship program for Monticello High School.
“I believe the internship program is important because it allows students to learn and participate in a job environment, including parts like the interview process and conduct,” she said.
“By providing students with experience in interviews they are able to do better in the future. Additionally, due to the nature of the internship students are also able to receive feedback after their interview, bettering their future interviews.”
Also, due to the internship being run by the school, the supervisors are used to working with students, able to help interns in correcting their work behavior and creating good work habits. Further, through the internship students can learn about how to manage money and see firsthand how to create budgets, relating to the Academy of Finance course.
The internship can also allow students to self-reflect, allowing interns to improve themselves based on the flaws they see in areas like their behavior. Finally, the internship program allows students to have an opportunity they may not otherwise have, able to gain real work experience. This real experience is what makes the internships so amazing,” Internship Program Lead and AOF Teacher Mrs. Bahrenburg said.
“The internship has taught me how to focus on accomplishing my goals,” Monticello High School Principal’s Intern Cassandra said. “Mr. Wilder has also provided me with valuable information for my school career, such as telling me about the Excelsior scholarship,”
Cassandra works with Mr. Wilder to accomplish tasks like create club info pamphlets to inform students of what extracurricular activities are available. She also thinks of ways to improve the school and shares these ideas with Mr. Wilder, helping to provide a new perspective on what changes should be made. She also helps by creating visual representations of possible ideas, helping turn an idea from a thought into a reality.
“The internship has taught me to become more responsible for my actions. It also has shown me what a real work environment is like,” Monticello High School Intern Kaitlyn said.
Kaitlyn works with Mrs. McCoy in the main office. She helps with tasks like distributing mail, both in the high school and to the RJK Middle School, while also keeping documents organized and easy to access. She also helps keep the main office flowing smoothly by helping man the door, allowing quicker service for our visitors and guests.
Additionally, Kaitlyn will provide the copies needed for various reasons, such as for a newsletter or for a form that needs to be filled out.
So, why are Monticello High School internships so great? They provide new experiences to interns so they can get a jumpstart into the work force. The internships allow interns to learn the process firsthand in a learning environment rather than being thrown into the workforce, preventing having to learn lessons the hard way. Internships are a shining example of what really makes Monti rock!