Summer is just around the corner, and there are less than two weeks left of school for Apex high school students. After final exams, everyone will finally be free for the summer to relax without any stress from school. There are many different activities and things to do this summer, such as travel and go on vacation, relax at home, or even get a summer job.  In the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) here at Apex High School, it is required that all juniors must complete a summer internship in order to fulfill the requirements of graduation for AOIT. This internship must include 120 hours with at least sixty of the hours spent working on a technical project of value to the company. These internships are meant to give these students valuable experience in the workforce and introduce them to a range of different working environments and jobs to help them prepare for college and the outside world. 

The majority of the 2024 spring semester in AOIT was spent preparing students for this summer internship. There were many lunch and learns from various companies as well as workshops to help improve their resumes and  cover letters as well as interview preparation. Many interviews were conducted during the spring as well, and juniors were able to find internships that suited their preferences. One student in AOIT, Meredith Overcash, has found an internship working for one of her mom’s friends/coworkers, Liz Driscoll. “Liz makes science lesson plans for other people to use. She works in 4H, which is like a science-based program kinda like girl scouts that works with schools to get more science in schools and more kids interested in science,” Meredith says.

This internship also happens to be a paid internship. Some places will pay high school students for their time and help, but others happen to be unpaid and are primarily for the experience. “My job is to use my creativity and art skills to add graphics to her lesson plans to make them nicer to look at,” Meredith adds.

While it may be easier for some students to find an internship due to their connections and people they know, it can be a very difficult task to find an internship that fits a student’s likes and dislikes. Kayla White, another junior in AOIT, explains that “finding an internship is extremely important to me as I want to add something big to my resume and gain experience in my career path before I apply to college.” She adds that the biggest challenge is finding an internship in the field of study she is interested in, screenwriting. “I’ve searched everywhere and am currently still looking for some. Most of the film programs are located in Hollywood or New York, making it even harder to find one because I have to search for remote internships,” Kayla explains.

Eventually, she decided to branch out from just screenwriting and look for internships in journalism. There were multiple magazine brands she applied to as a journalist, but it was still a complicated search process. Kayla says that the biggest challenge is “finding a decent program I seem excited about. I’ve done internships that I didn’t like, and it’s a horrible feeling to dread the hours of work you’re putting into something you don’t even enjoy. I really want to find a fun internship that I’ll love.” Regardless of how difficult the internship search has been for her, she hasn’t given up and continues to apply for many positions in hopes that she will find an internship that meets all her expectations soon. 

A summer internship is a really great opportunity to explore different workforce environments and positions that help prepare students for life outside of school. Even though some students may face more challenges and difficulties in the search process, through dedication and determination, most students are able to acquire an internship that can teach them valuable skills.