On a sunny June morning, while many of his classmates were sleeping in or heading to sports practices, senior Spersh Goyal was navigating the offices of a Bay Area biotech firm. His summer was filled with meetings, research and strategy conversations with executives who challenged him to think like a professional. “Things only started clicking during the fifth or sixth week,” Goyal said. “It was definitely a steep learning curve, but that’s what made it so valuable.”
Stories like Goyal’s are expected to become more common as Menlo’s internship program for juniors expands. Originally considered to be an M-Term option for juniors, the program now requires participants to attend biweekly workshops throughout the spring, apply for internship positions and spend time in work environments over the summer.
Last February, juniors within the program tweaked resumes, drafted cover letters and prepared for interviews with potential employers. The workshop series guides them through this application process, helping them develop both the confidence and the professional tools needed to try applying for an internship and, ultimately, to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience. Powered by partnerships with Menlo parents and partner organizations, Menlo’s new internship program provides students with the opportunity to polish their professional voice.
Menlo History teacher and Community Engagement Coordinator Dylan Cummins spearheaded the internship program. Cummins said the program began when a few Menlo parents took the initiative to create it, wanting students to gain more professional experience before graduation.
Cummins seeks internship opportunities for the program through Menlo community members. He strongly believes the skills students learn through the internships are constructive for their futures. “It builds character by learning what relational skills create strong connections at work [and] what approaches don’t work,” Cummins said.
The internships also allow students to open up new networks with adults, giving them the chance to form mentoring relationships and seek guidance from professionals in fields they may be interested in.
Senior Carissa Satuito was interested in partaking in the program because of the vast range of opportunities. Satuito interned at L&P Aesthetics in Palo Alto. “The program gave so many cool and unique opportunities that Dylan had from just reaching out to the Menlo community that maybe I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish if I just cold-called by myself,” Satuito said. Internship options range from opportunities in STEM, business, marketing, finance and more — whichever opportunities Menlo community members can offer or find.
Satuito encourages everyone to give the program a try in the future. “I think the internship program provides unique experiences that you just can’t replicate through any other program,” she said.
During the program, working times ranged. “Some students started work at 8:30 a.m. the first Monday of summer and stopped the last Friday of summer, […] while some did three to four days a week for a couple of week periods,” Cummins said.
Cummins believes that the most valuable part of the program for students is tackling the real-world challenges they go through as part of their internships. “Really, the main challenge is taking the time to practice and develop the skills, which includes writing a resume and practicing for interviews,” he said.
According to Cummins, his biggest challenge was finding hosts willing to provide high schoolers with internship opportunities. To minimize this obstacle, he encouraged students in the program to reach out to their parents in hopes that they could host an intern. “Once they do accept, the hosts come back with so many positive reviews, but the main thing is getting them to trust the process,” Cummins said.
To improve the program, Cummins hopes to expand the number of opportunities offered to students so that program participants can find internships that better suit their interests. “I need more help opening up these doors, and once the doors are open, I can get the kids ready to step through them and be successful,” Cummins said. “I think that experiential learning is the future of education, and this can be a program that really puts our money where our mouth is.”
