Seniors at Tampa Prep get dismissed from their classes about three weeks before the end of the school year. In that three week period, seniors are required to participate in an internship from anywhere from 20 to 70 hours depending on the amount of AP classes a student takes.
Chelsea Wieloszynski, 12th Grade Dean, English Teacher, and Yearbook & Journalism advisor, describes internships as an “opportunity for you to test out and see where your interests might lie in a professional way.”
Whether it be related to the major a student wants to pursue, or a completely different career, the internship serves as a learning experience that allows a student to get a grasp of the professional world as well as figure out what they want to do as a career.
“When finding an internship, be prepared to ask what you might be doing,” said Wieloszynski.
If a student just ends up making copies or checking emails, it won’t lead to the full rewarding experience of an internship. That’s why it’s best for students to communicate their goal to the person they are interning with.
“The little sprinkling of starting to get more comfortable with those professional career soft skills because before you know it you’ll be using them in your college experience,” also said Wieloszynski about the internship experience.
This year, students were able to work with students at UT to develop soft skills, like an elevator pitch or creating LinkedIn.
“You never know who someone knows,” said Wieloszynski.
At the end of the internship, a student should not only thank their sponsor, but also keep in contact to create connections and find future opportunities.
Seniors have the opportunity to attend the Tampa Prep Career Fair where students can interview and interact with members representing different jobs. Students can be exposed to internship opportunities with appearances from places like Tampa General Hospital.
“Weekly check-in for how the internship is going and just a general overview,” said Doug Smith, a 12th Grade Advisor.
Advisors serve as a guide and someone a student can come to regarding their internship and project. Occasionally, advisors also check in with the student regarding their internship.
“Most of the time it’s just a check-in, but every now and then we get something that goes sideways, and then we just try to get a student a new experience,” said Mr. Smith.
Tomas Alvarado, Student Body President, got an internship at Westshore Capital.
“With further research, I realized this [finance] is what I wanted,” said Alvarado.
Alvarado already had in mind what he wanted to do for his major in college, and with that he sought out an internship in the finance field.
“It has to do with my major, essentially,” said Alvarado.
Alvarado found out about Westshore Capital at Tampa Prep’s Career Fair, an opportunity for seniors to seek out internships and interviews.
“I followed her up, I emailed her, I sent her my resume, and then, before you know it, I had an internship,” said Alvarado regarding his post-interview with the person from Westshore Capital.
Opportunities do not fall into one’s hand. It takes one’s own effort and through communication, one can get an internship like Alvarado did.
For future seniors, take Career Fair to your advantage and reach out after an interview. Communication is key
