By Alex Holliday and Jacob Welker Fox

Have you ever wanted to have a brand new learning experience? Then an internship is for you. An internship is when students go to an organization and experience the day-to-day life of someone who works there. Students are working a job, but not as an official job– more so as practice for when the time comes.

The Field School offers a unique experience for students to be able to get an internship starting in 10th grade. Sophomores are able to get an early start on internships, and if students are really motivated to complete internships, they will complete 4 during their years at Field. Internships are a valuable part of the Field education because they can provide an experience students couldn’t get from the usual day at school. Students are able to intern at almost any organization, as long as they complete a proposed, approved, and researched project in tandem with their work experience. 

According to Carrie Baroody, who runs the program, “The possibilities of what you can do for your internship are nearly endless.” Students can look for internships through Field’s already partnered organizations, or they can seek a new internship partner if they meet the correct requirements. Once students land one internship, the subsequent ones get easier and easier. Carrie says “Completing an internship and building your resume adds to your readiness for your next internship. Prospective internship mentors can see both your interests and what you have learned through past experiences.”

An internship is a chance for students to learn new types of unique skills that make internships very worthwhile, especially for your resume. It’s a way to know what it’s like being at work, so one can get a sense of what is coming later in life. Misha, a 9th Grader, worked at Bullfrog Bagels. Misha learned great communication skills, and learned organization by taking customers orders and managing the store.

For some students, internships are a completely new experience, which could prove to be challenging. To prepare for a first internship, one would have to be ready– as if they were going to a job for the first time. Rising to this challenge benefits students greatly– they must learn to go to work every morning prepared, knowing their schedule, and ready for the work they will be doing. Students can figure this out by communicating with their internship mentor.

9th grader Cole R waxed poetic about how his internship experience went and what he thought about internships. He did his internship at Redline Athletic Club and spent most of his time designing book covers for his mentor’s book. He also spent a lot of time coaching children on how to play hockey. Cole went on to say that he greatly enjoyed his internship experience and that it was completely different from his usual day at school. 

Cole’s internship was in the field of sports, he chose this because not only was it something that he was interested in but it is an opportunity to get a lot of new experience that school doesn’t offer. This is all the more reason for one to go and try out an internship. 

All around, participating in the internship program has little-to-no downsides. It takes time and effort to prepare for, but it’s beyond worth it. There is no other program that would give a student experience or life skills.