The end of a school year for seniors may be a stressful and overwhelming time. At Sutton High School we are giving many resources to navigate the experience in a supportive environment.
Throughout our years in middle school, we were visited by our community. For career day, we had different seminars to listen to learn about what the real world is and what jobs people in our town possess.
It was amazing to listen in person and ask questions. Each student was allowed to pick two seminars to attend, which gave us an introduction to what jobs could look like in the future.
Throughout high school, we are given electives. Law, nursing, science, robotics, and many more classes are offered for students to get a basic understanding and develop fundamentals.
Our junior year we were allowed to be able to job shadow someone and live a day ‘’in their shoes.’” This helped us make a final decision on what internships we wanted.
What is an internship at SHS? An internship takes place during the fourth term of senior year. During the first three terms, students made a plan with Mr. Marcucci of what our plan would be after high school.
I interviewed Mr. Marcucci to talk with him about the internship program.
Me: “How do you match a kid to an internship?’’
Mr. Marcucci: “Through individual discussions with the student.’’
Me: “How successful is the process?’’
Mr. Marcucci: “Very successful. 100 percent of seniors for the last 5 years, and I have never in 11 years told a kid they can’t do an internship.”
Me: “What percentage of paid or volunteered internships have students received?”
Mr. Marcucci: “Last year 100 percent was paid’’ Many jobs are competitive and hard to achieve but what internships are hard to get, I asked.
Me: ‘’What field is the hardest to find an internship for?’’
Mr. Marcucci: “Engineering–a lot of them are set off for college students.”
Me: What was the coolest internship you have found for someone?”
Mr. Marcucci: “A student did an improv comedy club in Boston, and another student did a fly fishing guide’’.
Me: Why did you choose to be involved in the internship program?’’
Mr. Marcucci: “About 11 years ago, I started with 14 kids for internships, and this program vastly grew. I enjoy the involvement of working with students, and setting them up to succeed in the future after high school.”
I interviewed a past senior, Erica Wallace, Class of 2024, about her internship. “My internship was shadowing at Boston Clinic Animal Hospital. My Internship was not originally paid; however, I got paid through the STEM grant. I did enjoy my internship a lot. It allowed me to learn more about animals and helped, and how they function. I think that this internship was very beneficial, and helped me when choosing my career for the future.”
Some things to keep in mind when thinking about doing an internship:
How many AP courses are in your schedule? AP classes are attendance mandatory and can affect internship hours and options.
Do you play a spring sport? Sport schedules can be hard to work around with practice and away games. Sports schedules are usually a full-week commitment, and attendance is mandatory.
Do you have other jobs that you are juggling? Do you put your internship over your part-time job? Will schedules align and will bosses/managers be flexible, and understanding? Do you have other clubs or after school activities? Will you make time?
Internships allow growth and development within a job but also a community of people, organization, time management, and, most importantly, self-growth. The internship program is an outstanding opportunity; don’t pass this offer up.
