This summer, students stepped into the professional world, gaining hands-on experience through internships that are helping build skills and explore future careers.

Chase Samole, a junior, spent his summer interning at a courthouse.

 “I interned down at the courthouse with Judge Walsh. I was able to sit through multiple court trials and see how the room functions and what is needed to be a lawyer,” Samole said. I was also able to see the behind-the-scenes and what Judges have to do from trial to motion calendar.”

Sophia Gonzalez, another junior, decided to shadow at a Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery center. 

“During my experience shadowing a plastic surgeon, I was very amazed to see how one procedure could change a patient’s life through many different aspects. I also learned a lot about the medicine used throughout the procedure, and that medicine was the route I was most interested in for my future,” Gonzalez said.

For many students, internships are more than just a summer job. They offer a chance to build resumes and develop valuable professional skills. Junior Emma Steremberg believes internships help students build a strong base and set themselves up to understand what they want to succeed in for their future careers.

“Internships help students because they give them a sense of what a career that they are interested in can look like beyond college. It also helps students to realize where they actually like a certain field or not because a career can look very different once you experience it first hand”, Steremberg said.

As the school new year begins, these interns return with an unforgettable experience that will benefit them long after summer ends. Whether it’s figuring out what they want to do in the future or picking up essential skills for their first jobs, the lessons they learned this summer will shape what comes next for them.