Four High School/High Tech students will remember the summer of 2006 as when they started building their resumes. Depending on the paid summer internship, these students learned to upgrade maps for a large federal agency, write articles for a non-profit agency’s newsletter or produce computer-assisted drawings for a high-tech manufacturer.
National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
| Daniel with Zdenka Willis, Director of National Oceanographic Data Center |
Daniel, a senior at Bowie’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School and participant in University of Maryland’s High School/High Tech program, spent four weeks updating electronic maps, cataloging backlogged documents and providing much-needed support in the library facility of the National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Daniel is currently interested in going to college to major in physics or math. He would like to get his Ph.D., teach and do research. He says his summer experience helped him narrow down his career goals.
His internship was a result of a multi-state partnership with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD-Y).
| Daniel updating electronic maps |
CVS Pharmacy:
| Alex learning about the photo filing system at CVS |
CVS Pharmacy in Glen Burnie provided an internship to Alex, a junior at North County High School and participant in their High School/High Tech program, in the photo lab. Alex learned about the retail end of a photo lab and about how film can be developed at a high rate of speed through the use of a special machine used by CVS.
While Alex is not sure what type of work he wants to do when he graduates, he says he wants to work with machines and greatly enjoyed his four-week experience with CVS. He is also looking at the possibility of working there part-time after school.
This multi-state partnership was coordinated through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). CVS offered internships in Maryland that provided opportunities for students to work as pharmacy technicians, photo technicians and customer service workers.
| Alex using the photo processing machine |
Lower Shore Enterprises:
Caitlin, a senior at Delmar High School in Wicomico County, wants to be a journalist. At Lower Shore Enterprises, she wrote articles for the agency’s newsletter and pitched in on fundraising activities. During this summer work experience, Caitlin also helped with typing and gained a wealth of experience in editing.
In addition to learning important work behaviors, she also learned to accept constructive criticism on her writing from editors. “In the long run,” says Caitlin, “it helped me.” After this experience, she still wants to be a journalist, which is a true testament to her dedication and motivation to succeed.
| Caitlin learning about the hectic pace of journalism |
K & L Microwave:
Ashley is currently a senior at Wicomico High School, and is in the computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) program at the local vocational technical center. During her internship at K & L Microwave she completed drawings utilizing CADD programs. She said she thoroughly enjoyed this experience and her supervisors were quite impressed with her work. In fact, she has been given the opportunity to return to work at K & L on a part-time basis during the school year.
The internship was a coordinated effort between Lower Shore Enterprises’ High School/High Tech program and the Salisbury office of the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS).
| Ashley hard at work at K & L Microwave |