Advertising (student 1)
Advertising (student 2)
Arts (student 1)
Arts (student 2)
Arts (student 3)
Baseball
Business (student 1)
Business (student 2)
Business (student 3)
Communications (student 1)
Communications (student 2)
Cooking (student 1)
Cooking (student 2)
Costume Design
Engineering (student 1)
Engineering (student 2)
Entrepreneurship
 

Nima has completed numerous AP courses and has volunteered in Tehran Hospital, Iran. We felt that Nima, because of his advanced studies, could possibly be a candidate for an internship relating to research. We matched him to a technology entrepreneur who is the founder of the Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis. With the help of his mentor, Nima developed a research project and power point presentation entitled, “Biological Identities and Cell Mapping.” Through illustrations and a cell/organism map, Nima was able to show exact cell size using a relative scale, something that’s missing in biology textbooks.

In the IC Journal, What are you Learning about Yourself? Nima writes: “I’m learning to become independent which is a very important quality in the medical field. I noticed that I have learned biology very well this year and it helps me on this job. I have also learned that asking questions can get you very far! My mentor is a very nice person and helps me whenever I need help.”

Nima tells us that this internship has certainly confirmed his interest in medicine and he looks forward to an additional experience in this field.

Gideon “lives” for baseball, has visited many stadiums across the country and dreams about a position in management for a minor league baseball team. IC contacted numerous teams in the Greater Boston area. Gideon’s infectious personality helped him land the position of game-day intern for an independent league baseball team. Gideon worked under the direction of the Assistant General Manager. “ I learned about team management, activities that take place on game day, the economics of running a team, audio-visual simulcasts, and the importance of customer service.”

Gideon’s mother wrote to us about the unforeseen benefits of his internship. “As is often the case with learning, some of the most important lessons Gideon learned at Brockton were unplanned and unforeseen. Coming from Newton, the commute down to Brockton by public transportation and his time at the stadium led him to be exposed to people who lead a very different life to ours. Gideon had the chance to meet people who have far fewer privileges and opportunities than he and his friends have. It was an eye-opening and maturing experience for him.

There was a poignant quality to Gideon’s impressions of the players on the team, for many of whom an independent league is the final stop in the world of professional baseball, and of the people who live in Brockton and come to the stadium. Gideon learned about success, but he also learned about failure. Can there really be more important and profound lesson for a young man his age?”
 

> back to top

Sara’s interest in alternative energy began as a freshman in high school when she conducted a wind feasibility study for her science fair project. Taking daily readings from an anemometer, she compared household gas/energy to potential wind power, calculating usage and cost. Impressed by the results in support of wind power, she continued her interest sophomore year when she wrote a research paper on the Cape Wind project.

Sara expressed a desire to become more involved in renewable energy and sought an internship that would further her research interests in both solar and wind power. IC placed her at an Energy Consumers Alliance where she worked on several projects relating to community outreach and advocacy. She created a pamphlet as a way to promote renewable energy, visited a wind turbine in Hull, MA, researched the science involved in solar panels, and developed a series of lesson plans on solar energy for high school students.

Sara told us that her summer internship solidified her interest in environmental science and she intends to further her studies in college. She is including her mentor’s letter of recommendation in her college application. Her mentor writes “Sara proved her academic intelligence with the quickness that she picked up tasks and complicated policy and scientific concepts. The project she developed for high schools about solar panels demonstrated her ability to not only understand the complex nature of solar energy, but to consolidate the information into easy-to-understand activities for high school students, relating to physics, chemistry and math. With the intelligence and drive that Sara brought to our organization as a high school student, I can only imagine how she will bloom through her experiences in college.”

Katie’s interests include theatre and communications. With previous experiences in acting and directing, she was interested in a part-time internship in the States that would introduce her to marketing and public relations as well as leaving some time for college tours.

We arranged an internship for Katie that combined both of her interests. She was mentored by the Director of Marketing and Public Relations of a prestigious theatre in Boston. Katie told us that she gained insight into many aspects of running a theatre including corporate media sponsorship, advertising sales and community partnerships. She plans to apply to American liberal arts colleges as a theatre and communications major and will include her letter of recommendation from the Director in her college applications.

> back to top

Skilled in instrumental music and languages, Gina was interested in finding an internship where she could convey her expertise with multiple musical instruments as well as one in which she could develop her public speaking skills. We arranged two experiences for Gina. She became a part-time guide at the State House where she created a speech and led tours for international visitors.

In addition, she interned at a wonderful music school as an assistant teacher of instrumental music in children’s classes.  Her mentor, Rachel was an outstanding Harvard trained arts educator who provided Gina with advice and inspiration. Rachel created additional administrative opportunities for Gina including parental phone contact and mini-research projects relating to operations. Rachel told us, “I was so impressed with Gina’s maturity and flexibility. She added such positive energy to our office.”

Mike’s passions include graphic arts and business. He was interested in learning how a successful business is developed, and in particular, marketing and advertising. We matched Mike to a young entrepreneur who is the founder of an extremely successful advertising/PR firm.

In his journals, Mike told us that he enjoyed the fact that most people in the office were in their 20’s and the vibe was a lot of fun. He was given many responsibilities including developing media lists for pitches, market research, and graphic design projects including logo conceptualization. He enjoyed sitting in on his mentor’s media pitches and learned how to be more confident on business telephone calls.

In the IC journal called Taking a Risk, Mike wrote “The first risk I took was in my second week when I asked to help out in the graphic design department. I hadn’t been introduced to them yet, but I wanted to show them my design skills. I was instantly comfortable around them and they trusted me to get the work done. From this, I learned that I should be more inclined to take chances in order to gain experience.”

Mike’s mentor, who is the president of the marketing company and a Professor of Media Relations at Emerson College, wrote in his letter of recommendation,” Mike focused on assisting me create, implement and manage marketing programs for a wide range of clients. Throughout the time he spent with us, he demonstrated solid analytical thinking and diligent research skills. His intuitive knowledge and leadership skills enabled him to embrace every challenge he came up against, contributing in both strategy and execution to numerous marketing programs….He is exactly the type of enthusiastic, open-minded student I look for in the courses I teach at Emerson and would be an asset to any university.

Mike’s mom told us that the internship was of great benefit. “It was Mike’s first experience in the adult working world, a great introduction to business; he developed responsibilities and relationships with his mentor and colleagues and gained information for his future. The fact that his mentor wrote such a super letter of recommendation was a wonderful plus.”

Ollie has a wide variety of interest: athletics, environmental action and teaching inner-city kids.  He especially enjoyed a previous Outward Bound kayak trip. The IC counselors searched for a placement site that would allow Ollie to explore combined interests: the environment and working with students in environmental education. Ollie became a teaching assistant at a Mass Audubon community based education center in Mattapan that provides environmental education to local youth.

Ollie told us that he enjoyed helping students with a variety of hands-on activities and field trips to salt marshes and the Blue Hills Observatory. He told us that the most important things he gained from his internship were: enjoying students from an urban environment, learning about practical strategies to use in the classroom, and mastering driving around rotaries in Boston!

Shari is interested in design: fashion, architecture and interior design. IC matched her to an award-winning, cutting-edge design firm in the SOWA district of Boston. The principal of the firm told us that he was impressed with Shari’s maturity and invited her to listen in on meetings with both clients and vendors.

Emily enjoys cooking meals for her family and was interested in learning all about the restaurant business. We matched her to a young entrepreneur/ owner of a very well known upscale restaurant. Emily bussed tables, experienced hostessing and particularly enjoyed assisting the pastry chef. She received a wonderful letter of recommendation that will certainly be helpful when she applies for paid positions next summer.

Jennifer is one of the most enthusiastic students we have ever interviewed. She was interested in leadership, public speaking and government, having participated as a senior prefect and on the student activities council at BB&N. Jennifer traveled a long distance each day to school by public transportation and held down a part-time job in addition to her heavy course load, handling everything with charm and an upbeat attitude. We thought that she would be a perfect addition to the office of the State Representative from her hometown district.

Jennifer’s mentor was a wonderful young woman of Hispanic origin who held the position of legislative aid. Noel arranged for Jennifer to attend hearings and listen to speakers with both the Black Legal Caucus and the Women’s Caucus where she learned about issues pertaining to HIV, issues for welfare mothers, and speakers on the environmental impact of current state-wide legislation. She learned about the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship program which provides training and job placement for college students in non-profit and governmental agencies. She saw government in action, watched as a bill was passed, and was treated with the college interns to a “thank you” lunch hosted by her State Representative.

Jennifer is now a freshman at Bryn Mawr (her first choice) and writes that she is grateful for her exposure to government and is already an active member in the student government association and was elected class president. Congratulations Jen!

Alex is interested in pursuing a career in the music: production, business or management. We matched Alex to a young mentor who was recently promoted to Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at a nationally recognized symphony orchestra.  Alex took the train into Boston and worked in marketing where he learned a new computer program, worked on outreach and researched new prospects for advertising.

In her letter of recommendation, Alex’s mentor wrote, “Alex quickly learned about the organization and its many facets. He rapidly got up to speed on the various orchestras and how they would play a part during our 50^th season. Alex worked extensively on our current list of advertisers and successfully researched new, potential advertisers. He worked on FileMaker Pro to create a new, up-to-date database that was very user friendly. Not only was Alex a tremendous aid to the marketing department but also to the other departments. He was always willing to help and very flexible in terms of what was asked of him. He was exposed to areas of Operations and Development, which I believe helped him to gain an overall view of the many of the functions of a non-profit music educational institution.  He worked well with everyone and was always courteous of his fellow workers. He was a true team player.

I would highly recommend Alex and would happily have him return as an intern for another period.  He was a genuine asset this summer and showed sincere enthusiasm for the job and the organization.”

Fabian’s dad inspired his own interest in the stock market and he wanted to experience learning about money management and finance, as well as taking the train into Boston. We matched Fabian to a fantastic young woman who is a principal at a downtown investment management company. As a member of the Boston Economic Club and the Boston Security Analysts Society, Lisa was the consummate mentor, providing both guidance and inspiration.

When we visited Fabian at work, he told us “Everyone here is very welcoming, the location near Faneuil Hall is great and I like working with numbers. This is a practical application of math which is very different from the math I learned in school. I’ve learned how to look stocks up online and how to evaluate them based on their annual percentage increase or decrease. I was introduced to the Baseline program and how to compare different stocks.  I am also responsible for researching and summarizing client information and creating a client database for the company. I was even taken to a lunch lecture on Securing Massachusetts’ Leadership Position in Financial Services.”

In her letter of recommendation, Lisa writes, “Fabian and I worked closely on various methods for equity research. He took quickly to the analytical process of reviewing annual reports and other data gathered in his research. Among his strengths as an intern is his ability to work well independently and to ask questions as needed. He consistently produces work that reflects he is personally invested in the outcome. I am grateful he took the initiative to seek an internship with us this summer and I am certain his enthusiasm and curiosity will lead him to continued success in whatever interests he may pursue in the future.”

Anna told us that she has always been very interested in the world around her, she lived previously in Costa Rica and was interested in anything “urban related.” We also learned that she was proficient in Spanish and very interested in cooking.

One of the most satisfying aspects of our work at Internship Connection is finding an internship placement that combines a student’s interests. We placed Anna at a non-profit that provides inner-city middle school students from Boston schools with an educational experience that teaches life skills through the art of cooking.

In her journal, Anna writes, “I am responsible for setting up, cleaning up, keeping students in line and leading some instruction during each class. I learn while the kids learn- about technique and preparation. I also realize that I like the atmosphere of the kitchen- fast-paced and organized. I am surprised to discover that I enjoy working with kids. At times, their behavior is frustrating, but I’m gaining confidence to keep them in check. I think we learn a lot from each other. The people I work with only add to this great experience. The chefs who teach are talented and enthusiastic and the director is passionate about the program and its goals.”

> back to top   

Ali enjoys both art and children. She has experience as a babysitter and camp counselor and enjoyed a previous summer experience in the arts. Ali thought that she might be interested in a teaching career.  IC placed Ali at a well-known arts center in Brookline that provides arts education for both children and adults. Her mentor, the Assistant Director, is a young woman with a Masters Degree in Arts Administration who told us about her own positive experiences as an intern.

Ali enjoyed her experience as an assistant teacher. When we visited, Ali said, “A new class comes in every week with different kids. I’m able to observe a different dynamic in each class. We’ve been working on drawings, paper mache, clay and painting. I’ve been able to observe how teachers give demonstrations and I’m learning about classroom management. The art center is next to the T stop which is so convenient.”

Ali’s mentor was so pleased with her enthusiasm and work ethic that she offered her a part-time paid position during the year to help out at birthday art parties.

> back to top

When Brittany was in high school, she worked as a classroom assistant at Sudbury’s Children Learning Center. At Skidmore, she gained teaching exposure in Skidmore’s Early Childhood Center. Because Brittany was looking for additional classroom experience, the Internship Connection Director felt that since she already had suburban teaching experience, Brittany could benefit from exposure to an urban environment. Dr. Jabbawy established an internship at the King Open School in Cambridge where she had previously trained student teachers.

Brittany interned 3 days per week working in a classroom of 18 students, entering the first and second grades. On our visit Brittany explained, “We keep to a pretty basic schedule always starting with breakfast followed by free play and outdoor activities. The children are taking English classes and I’m reading books to them and helping them with their writing. I’ve been able to use my artistic skills to incorporate into classroom teaching. I created an art project that relates to their children on their field trips to Walden Pond and the Boston Aquarium.”

Camilla is the Editor of her school newspaper and spent the previous summer immersed in CITY term in New York where she enjoyed a literature course and honed her interviewing skills for writers and reporters. IC matched her to a nationally recognized program for writers in Boston. Founded by writers for writers, their goal is to help writers with all aspects of the writing life, from finding inspiration to marketing a finished work.

The program coordinator described Camilla’s experience. “Camilla was truly a fantastic intern. She had many responsibilities, including working in our library and organizing collections and writers’ resources. We were impressed by a very sophisticated brochure that she developed for our program, where she wrote an article about our teen writing program. She conducted extensive research and incorporated quotes from alumni by interviewing them on the phone. Additionally she participated in our Tenth Anniversary celebration by helping out with activities during and leading up to the event. We loved having such a wonderful young woman who was so mature and skilled beyond her years.”

> back to top

IC matched Gideon to the office of his State Representative. He had the opportunity to provide office support and attend hearings and daily meetings with invited speakers, including Governor Patrick and members of the MA Senate. As an intern, he was able to volunteer at the National Conference of State Legislators Annual Meeting where thousands of state legislators and staff listened to speakers such as Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff and Speaker of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi.

Gideon told us that he was very grateful for this opportunity and was thrilled to be asked to return as an intern next summer.

During her years at Brookline High School, Kelley expressed interest in medicine and community work. Through the Internship Connection, she was matched to a walk-in medical clinic in Boston that focuses on community healthcare for veterans and the homeless.

Her responsibilities included direct patient care: checking them in, taking blood pressure, pulse and temperature, and assessing glucose levels. Kelley tells us that working with this population was a profound experience for her and confirmed her career interests.

Her mother Nancy said, “It instilled a great sense of responsibility and it was a wonderful opportunity to try out something that might be interesting to her.”

Alex is a gifted young man with a passion for engineering, product design and consumer psychology. After meeting with Alex and observing his inventor’s journal, the Internship Connection designed a customized experience that would give Alex the opportunity to visit the top product development companies in New England.

He was able to meet with CEO’s, engineers and product developers and receive a tour of their companies.

By utilizing the interview questions in The Internship Connection Journals, he interviewed the CEO’s to gain a comprehensive understanding of their engineering and design processes and products.

In addition, Alex learned about college programs that would best meet his interests. Each CEO was impressed with Alex’s interests and intellectual curiosity, and would like to hear from him in the future.

Alex writes, “This internship has definitely impacted by goals for the future. I’ve learned so much about the difference between engineering, which solves a specific problem and industrial design, which seeks to look at the whole user experience. Now I realize that I should pursue a general engineering education in conjunction with liberal arts, as opposed to a specific product development path of study. I offer my most heartfelt thanks.”

Ross wrote for his school newspaper and was interested in developing his journalistic skills. He was placed with a talented editor of one of the Community Newspapers who enjoys working with young people and who is very effective in teaching the basics of journalism.

Ross’s skills developed very quickly and he was given the responsibility of a field reporter. He had many interesting experiences, including an interview with Trot Nixon from the Boston Red Sox.

Not only did his articles appear on the front page of the newspaper, but also Ross’s editor offered him a paid free-lance position this coming year.

Katie participates in mock Trial and Model U.N. Because she spends summers in Falmouth with her family, the Internship Connection contacted lawyers on Cape Cod. Katie interned two days per week in a civil law office and was able to utilize her organizational and computer skills as she performed paralegal work on a wide  variety of projects. 

In her journal, she wrote that one of the most challenging aspects of her work was overcoming initial nervousness when speaking on the telephone, requesting medical records for clients. “By the last phone call, I wasn’t nervous anymore, even when I was asked questions I didn’t expect. My mentor said it would be a good learning experience, and it was. Thank you for this opportunity. I know that not a lot of kids in high school can intern, so I appreciate the opportunity. I learned a lot and worked hard and would definitely do it again.”

On Katie’s last day, her mentor took her out for lunch and gave her a gift certificate to Border’s.

Last summer, Amanda was placed in the news division of a cable television station, where she learned how to use the camera, helped to create sets for shoots and established shots in the field.

“I valued the independence and how much the station trusted me to go out on my own with a ten thousand dollar camera! Too often interns don’t get much responsibility. I wasn’t copying papers and getting coffee. I had an amazing experience and was able to learn about the communications field and what goes into being a successful journalist.”

The news director spoke highly of her, “Amanda seemed to be a perfect fit for our news team.”

Jessica is a talented artist. In order to expose Jessica to a wide variety of arts fields, she was placed at an arts non-profit, the largest provider of arts outreach programs in Massachusetts’s schools.

A partial list of her responsibilities included updating the performance requirements for 33 performers, making updates to their website,