Be a Host

The Intern Project (TIP) hosted the first-ever “Be A Host” event, where current TIP employers and former TIP interns shared their experiences with a group of potential new business partners. Started in 2014, this year marks the 8th summer placing Los Angeles-based high school students in meaningful professional settings, where they gain work experience and expand their networks outside of the academic environment. For high school senior, Rashini, the internship was “honestly, more than I expected. It was such a great experience for me to not only introduce myself to the workplace but also to gain some interest in engineering.” Though she is still undecided about what she’ll pursue in college, Rashini says it’s been a “good struggle” to figure it out through these kinds of intern opportunities.

During the discussion, our business partners were empowered by the presence of young, innovative voices adding perspective and energy to their workplaces. “We really value listening to new ideas and our high school students come with a fresh pair of eyes,” said Kathleen from Buro Happold, a global engineering firm.

Heather from Martin Bros., a commercial construction company that hosted 10 interns last summer, also found the internships to be worthwhile. “What the students produced—a lot of my colleagues thought they were college interns.” An added bonus was the attention Martin Bros. received as a result of TIP, which proved useful in terms of finding new ways to showcase themselves to wider audiences and markets. “The amount of PR and clout we’ve gotten because of TIP … has really helped our company.”

Though Tinbite, a high school senior, initially felt overwhelmed on his first couple of days at his internship, he quickly felt at ease once he realized how welcoming everyone was. “At first I was nervous because of how big an opportunity this is—I’m actually doing something serious here—but the more I dove into it, I realized these people are here to help me. This is meant for you to experience and meant for you to learn.”

This sentiment of exploration and learning was echoed by Jogg founder, Mike, who found it refreshing to work with people who weren’t necessarily interested in the digital marketing services his company provides. “At first I thought, ‘I would love someone who’s intrigued by tech,’ but the fact that my intern wasn’t opened up so many doors. That was actually my biggest highlight: Even if they don’t have the core experience or interest if in the interview they provide good energy and you like them, give them a chance.”

Consider your company to host a summer intern! You can learn more about The Intern Project at http://theinternproject.org and reach out directly to Program Manager Alex Rincon at alexanderr@lapromisefund.org to discuss.