Luis Sterling, a junior at New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School, may be computer-less right now, having been forced to give up his machine during a recent move, but he has an abiding interest in the computing field and, in fact, would like eventually to become a computer engineer.
Mr. Sterling took his first steps along that career path this spring while working at Yale's Microcomputer Support Center through the "School to Career Opportunities" program sponsored by the New Haven Public Schools. In fact, he was one of 14 Elm City students who worked in campus offices and departments this year through the initiative, which allows students to gain actual work experience while still in school.
Students in the program first attend an internship class at their high schools, where they learn about career development and hone their workplace skills. They then apply to the various internship programs that have been arranged at local businesses and organizations. Some of these internships are designed for an individual student's particular interest, while others offer a more generalized introduction to the workaday world. From January through May, the participants work 10 hours a week at their new posts under the supervision of a "workplace mentor," i.e., their internship supervisor. The students then return to the classroom to share and evaluate their experiences.
At the Microcomputer Center, Mr. Sterling learned how to repair or upgrade 30 different kinds of computers. This included instruction in such basics as how to dress properly while working on computers to avoid creating static, to the more subtle art of informing customers about the costs associated with the repair of their machines. "I definitely learned what kind of computer to buy and what not to buy," says Mr. Sterling.
At the School of Medicine, Kendra Branch, a senior at Career High School, worked with patients at the Center for Pain Management. Ms. Branch, who plans to become a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, will study next fall at Clark University in Atlanta. Working at the Center for Pain Management, she says, "was a good experience. It gave me a chance to see a different field I never knew existed."
Career High students Margaret Smith and Jackie Barnes both had internships at the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library -- the former in the circulation department, the latter in the inter-library loan program. Ms. Smith, a senior, wants to become a registered nurse and will attend Southern Connecticut State University in the fall. She says she "learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes at a library. I never realized there was so much paperwork." Ms. Barnes, a junior, notes, "I learned a lot about the career world, about life in an office. It will help me in either of my 'ideal' jobs -- as a teacher, or as president of a company."
Two other Career High seniors, Shonica Johns and Edgewena Love, gained experience in dealing with people of diverse cultures in their respective posts at the medical school's Office of Women in Medicine and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Ms. Johns, who wants to be a pediatrician, will attend the University of Connecticut (UConn) this fall, while Ms. Love will pursue a degree in elementary education at Shore University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Elsewhere on campus: Haoin Cheng, a senior at Wilbur Cross who wants to be a biologist, did experiments on polymerase chain reactions in a Yale laboratory; she plans to pursue her studies as a member of the U.S. Army. Senior David Miller, also from Cross, studied tree-killing fungi, gypsy moths and wildlife biology at the U.S. Forestry Service during his internship with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; he will study ecology and wildlife biology at UConn. And Cross senior Kristine Firine worked with youngsters who visited the Discovery Room at the Peabody Museum of Natural History; she is taking a year off before attending college, but eventually plans a career in psychology.
This is the second year that Yale has participated in the School to Career Opportunities program, according to Wallicia McNeil, placement and staff relations representative in Human Resources, who coordinated the Yale internships.
"The School to Career program not only fits in with Yale's core mission of educating young people, it also gives members of the campus community the opportunity to meet and work closely with talented and motivated young people from New Haven," says Ms. McNeil. "It's a win-win situation, one that's rewarding for both students and Yale staff. We will definitely be participating in the program again next year."