Internships are more than just making your résumé appear better. For high school students, they offer real-world experiences, opportunities to explore different paths, and a way to gain skills before college. Yet at San Rafael High School, these opportunities remain out of reach for many students, not because they don’t exist, but because students remain unaware. This is an issue of awareness, not availability, and SRHS can fix it. SRHS must change its approach to internships by focusing on promotion, support, and partnerships with local businesses.
Internships have proven to be transformative experiences for students, helping them build confidence and choose their career path. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students who take internships are 10-15% more likely to receive a job offer after graduation, making these opportunities important for students preparing for the future or college applications.
Debora Jeske, writing in Education and Training, states “Internships are expected to improve the graduate employability of students because they assist in the structured transition from the world of education to the world of work.” Despite the important benefits of internships, so many students are missing out on these opportunities because they don’t know where to start.
In a 2023 study about the impacts of internships published in Journal of Research in Rural Education, Allison Ricket writes, “Internships are important for students as they allow students to experience the expectations and demands of working as a professional in a foundry.”
This does not have to do with a lack of resources. If you visit the College and Career Center section of the SR school website, you will find a list of internships, but the problem is that most students don’t even know they’re there. Laura Gonzalez, the internship coordinator, said, “Most of the time students are coming to me to help them apply or find an internship.” This shows that there isn’t an effort to promote internships beyond students who are already looking for help. Around only ten students currently have an internship this year which is a pretty low number considering the amount of opportunities the San Rafael community has.
By having more awareness and creating partnerships with local businesses and organizations, SRHS can prepare students for success after graduation. Only listing internships on a website without promoting them does not help students access these limited opportunities. SR needs to promote internships into students’ days, through morning announcements, Minga, in classrooms, or through counselors.
San Rafael is known to have numerous small businesses and nonprofits that fit into many different interests. By partnering with local businesses such as Canal Alliance or Marin Humane Society for students interested in their community or animals, we could create additional spaces for students.
Many parents in the school community have connections to local businesses or work at companies that might be open to having interns. If the school reached out to parents we could use this opportunity. Parents would likely appreciate having the chance to help students explore different careers while creating connections to their community. These partnerships are full of opportunities but SRHS hasn’t even scratched the surface.
A student at Terra Linda High School has achieved what many students at SRHS could also achieve. A student had taken the Introduction to Construction class and he did so well that a guest speaker who visited the class offered him an internship with a local plumbing company. He is now a part-time plumber while also volunteering in the Introduction to Construction class helping other students as he finishes graduating. Ms. Gonzalez commented, “He’ll have a ton of experience in plumbing, it’s a great job that makes great money and it’s a great skill to have, so he’s doing really well for himself for someone who hasn’t even graduated from high school.” She also praised his dedication, saying, “You could tell he really loved the work and tried really hard.” Ms. Gonzalez also emphasized that these classes and internships could open a lot of doors for students, just like it did for this student.
Even for students who seek internships, it can feel out of reach for them. The application can be competitive and students are juggling homework with other priorities leaving no time to search or apply for internships. Without mentorship or guidance, students may not even know where to start.
Sydney Lewis, a Junior at SRHS who is currently interning with Youth in Arts, said “It’s definitely preparing me for my future, I’m developing leadership skills and learning how to collaborate well with others.” So many students are missing out on this experience. However, not every student has the same resources to find such opportunities. Having guidance from counselors could help the process and make internships an easier process.
Some argue that internships are not practical for every student because of limited space. While this is a concern, SR could expand their partnership with local businesses to have more space. Internships may also seem like too much on students’ plates, however, internships could also be included in the curriculum as elective credits.
In the magazine Modern Casting, Pam Lechner writes, “The internship takes their learning beyond the classroom.” This connection to real-world experiences allows students to see the importance of education in action, helping them prepare for future careers.
Students should not miss out on valuable opportunities because they don’t know where to start. SRHS has the resources to make internships available to so many more students. By promoting the opportunities already available, creating partnerships with local businesses, and having more guidance for students, SR can prepare their students for the future.
