Your New Chapter
- Nuvia C. Ruland
- Jan 9, 2017
- 3 min read

Two days ago all HTHCV juniors gathered to kick-off junior internship. It was the best kick-off in all five years that I’ve been teaching here. As a staff we wanted to excite, inspire and put a little pressure on all of you. Junior internship is no joke! First of all it is a HTH graduation requirement, and second, you work with community partners for one whole month. There are many things that excite me about working here, and internships is at the top of my list. Year after year I have seen students return from this month-long event as changed human beings. Not only have they matured and gained new experiences, but they have truly transformed.
The event was beautifully organized and led by Lisa Davis and Rod Buenviaje. Every detail was thought out in advance. For example, to start the internship journey, all students walked out of junior wing and entered the commons, which was set-up for a professional meeting. Lisa made sure that the tables were covered with black table cloths, decorated with pictures of past interns, and equipped markers and large Post-its notes to write down your ideas. On the walls hung oversized images of students at their internship site and posters of past sites. We invited seniors and HTHCV alumni to share their experiences. The meeting’s agenda included the history, requirements and expectations of internship. All of this was organized for you to imagine yourself in a professional setting.
Soon after the meeting kicked-off we asked you, what are you most excited or nervous about in regards to internship? One of you had the courage to ask, “Has High Tech prepared me to be successful at my internship, out there with adults?” All staff members can all confidently say, YES! But again, how you perform and what you get out of junior internship is really up to you, and only you.
Since HTHCV opened there are hundreds of students that have completed this unique opportunity to be immersed in the professional world for one complete month. In other words, before you even earn a high school diploma you will complete a minimum of 120 hours of authentic workplace experience. This is not a project, this is the beginning of pursuing your professional career. There isn’t another program like this in San Diego, so it is an experience that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Last week Michelle Obama gave her last speech as first lady of our nation. In her speech she emphasized achievements of the last eight years, such as high school graduation and college acceptance rate are at an all-time high. Something that is reflected at our school. But I was most struck by the following statement, “Know that this country belongs to you.” In the same way internship is about you recognizing that this community belongs to you. That there are people living and working here to create a community filled with resources for you to have the best opportunity to live a comfortable life. During this experience I encourage you to think about your role within this community.
Overall I feel that the message we are trying to get across about your internship experience is echoed when Mrs. Obama says, “Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter. Or like you don’t have a place in our American story because, you do. And you have the right to be exactly who you are. But I also want to be very clear. This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day. You can’t take your freedoms for granted.”
The next chapter in your story begins now.
Watch Michelle Obama's message for you at minute 15:20 and on. I find her message inspiring. I hope you too.
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