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City High Internships 2007-2008

1st Trimester

2nd Trimester

3rd Trimester

Natalie Bendzsuk	Griffin Sumrok
Michael Parrish	Joe Hogue
Dejuan Royster	Nick Lehman
Clinton Scott	Janea Price
Brittany Hughes	Zakiya Hoots
Renelle Johnson	Angie Wyman
David Perman	Sherral Woodall
Kelly Wiles	Jason Pace
Joelle Harris	Earl Coleman
Toni Turner	Ashley McAfee
Christina Provident	Kayla Calloway
Darcie Mather	Makayla Lucas-Lipinski
Annie Lehman	Michelle Phifer
Fifa Clervil	Brandon Fritzley
Crystal Caven	Ayrelle Comans
Raven Sams	Samantha Karpa
Niesha Gittings	Nee Taylor
Dominique Dutrieuille	Jomel Simonson
Meghan Williams	Jamisha Young
Carl Smith	Dailynn Tate
Tajae Freeman	Andre Wofford
LeShelle Urquhart	Sean Hogue
Ryan Essel	Kiersten Hancock
Cornaya Moorefield Yasmeen Leftwich	Tyler Todd
Marnita Owens	Sarah Lyons
Kanesha Massie

Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner has a nationally renowned reputation for effectively assisting the administration of justice through their investigation of deaths. Deputy Chief of Operations, Dr. Edward Strimlan stresses the importance of understanding this field, especially with a recent “outcry for education in the forensic science field.” Natalie Bendzsuk was energized and eager to intern in the lab. “My mentor was very clear that this is not like CSI;” Natalie explained, “it is much more paperwork, and much less exciting. Ed showed me the realities of the field and introduced me to the staff. We toured building and talked about my future plans”. “Natalie is very intelligent and she has a unique appreciation for medical aspects of our office,” explained Dr. Strimlan. “When I told her she would be watching her first autopsy she was very excited!” While Dr. Strimlan spends much of his time supervising, answering calls, taking death reports, and helping family with funeral arrangements, Natalie enjoyed working with forensic investigators and examiners. Natalie answered phones, watched autopsies, filed reports, entered death reports and labeled files. “It was a lot harder than I thought to come into this work place, especially being under 18 and there being limits to what I could do. I was a little intimidated by the college interns at first, but they were nice and always filled me in on what happened on calls away from building.” Natalie is still enthusiastic about all things medical, and is grateful for her experience. “I would love to do something medical but maybe not a crime lab or examiners office now that I know the realities of the job!”

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Griffin Sumrok had the opportunity to intern with mentor Marie Pocasangre, Supervisor/ Developer of Activities in the educational exhibits of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Marie also coordinates the Teen Docent Program, where teenagers volunteer one Saturday per month during the school year and one day a week during the summer to explain touchable natural history objects to visitors at various stations throughout the museum. Marie likes to have high school interns and to try to help young people figure out their career path. "It also helps me become a better supervisor and delegator which improves my own job performance." On a day to day basis Griffin helped Marie design activities for children who visit the museum, made spreadsheets for volunteers, and helped with projects. It is a nice balance of office and hands-on work. Griffin was eager to show off the Stego heads- which were paper cut outs of stegosaurus plates that children could construct to wear on their heads. Griffin explained that helping to design activities taught him to be more creative, and he enjoyed thinking of ways to engage children of different age groups. Griffin was also responsible for coming up with an informative training for teen docents about Andrew Carnegie. “He handled it very well,” said Marie, “Anytime he had free time he would continue to work on it”. Marie will miss having Griffin very much; she appreciated all of his help, wonderful computer skills and positive attitude."

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The National Aviary is our nation's only bird zoo and is home to over 800 birds of around 250 different species. Erin Estell is the Manager of Interactive Experiences and Animal Promotions. “I help to make sure that visitors have a positive, interactive experience when they come to the National Aviary. I also manage the volunteer and intern programs” said Erin. The Aviary was the perfect internship site for City High’s Michael Parrish who plans to study and pursue a career in zoology. Erin explained, “It is important to me to work with high school students, because I started out as a teenage volunteer. I want to give teenagers the same opportunities that I had. I know how important it is to start getting experience at a young age if you want to work in a zoo setting.” Some of Michael’s daily tasks were cleaning the Lories and the Penguins’ enclosure. All the while “you have to watch out for birds, making sure they are safe,” explained Michael. Occasionally he fed the penguins, golden eye ducks and white doves. When asked about his favorite memory, Michael said he most enjoyed working with and feeding the four African Penguins: Stanley, Elvis, Simon, and Patrick (who is female!). Michael learned how to identify many different species of birds, what they eat, and how to take care of them. He has received constant praise and appreciation from his mentor and coworkers for his passion, enthusiasm, and strong work ethic. “Michael has shown that he has the ability to put the birds’ needs first,” says Erin, “which is the first sign of someone who has potential in this industry.”

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Carnegie Mellon University students who worked with Joe Hogue in the CMU Musical Recording Studio could not believe Joe was a high school student! His mentor Riccardo Schultz often let him run full out recording sessions on his own. “I appreciate his infinite patience...” explained Riccardo. “He picked up things very quickly and even taught himself how to do things on his own.” Joe has done so much more than just shadow Riccardo while he records student work, runs the studio, and teaches courses on music editing and recording. “When I first started my internship, Riccardo tossed me into the process. Then he would come and show me where I made mistakes. Now if someone is recording, I will set it up, monitor the session, and work with the students to edit the tracks. We have also set up sound equipment in different studios and performance spaces, such as the Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.” Joe has really enjoyed his exposure to the recording studio environment and now has a better idea of what it would be like to work in one. “I learned how to work the production tools, work with people in the industry, monitor a full out recording session, and I really learned how to put up with all kinds of situations.” Joe has been a tremendous help to Riccardo and he hopes that Joe will continue to work with him part time.

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City High’s Dejuan Royster has always had an interest in computers, marketing, and business. Working as part of Sandy Welsh’s crew at the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh aligned perfectly with his interests. As the Director of Tech PA, along with being Director of Government Relations & Public Policy, Sandy oversees the refurbishing of donated computers, and then re-donates them to non-profit organizations. She has her interns working on databases to keep track of each computer as well as help to rebuild these computers. They install applications, install software and burn & test software. Dejuan appreciates that Sandy can not only guide him professionally, but also personally. Dejuan explains how she shows a genuine interest in his life outside of school and his plans for the future. “She is someone to look up to. She always takes time to get to know me better, even when she seems so busy.” Dejuan has enjoyed the exposure to both sides of the business: the hands on experience working with the computers, and also the office work for the Corporate Headquarters. “I am able to look at the business world, and have also learned more about computers.” Dejuan has had the privilege of doing work for the YMCA Corporate office where he worked on invoices, excel spreadsheets, an electronic calendar and even an invitation which will be used by the CEO’s office! “It’s true that I learned a lot more about computers,” said Dejuan “but I also learned about responsibility, reliability, and professionalism”.

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The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University, is one of 57 Naval ROTC units across the nation. Students from Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University are given full scholarships along with training and development to become officers in the Navy Marine Corp upon graduation. City High’s Nick Lehman has a strong interest in becoming involved in the NROTC while pursuing his undergraduate degree. Lieutenant Brian Patterson, Naval Professor, was happy to provide him with some early exposure to help him make an educated decision. “Nick is always prompt and anxious to be involved,” explained Brian. “He was required to do a bulk of the inventory which is a huge responsibility”. A staff of seven active duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel lead the instruction and training, and Nick was able to sit in on some of the courses. Nick enjoyed the atmosphere and found the staff to be friendly and personable. He has enjoyed everything he has done with the NROTC, even the time when “chief ordered [him] to carry a computer all the way to CMU to be repaired!” Nick looks forward to becoming involved in the program in the near future, and is grateful that his internship has confirmed his career path.

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The Animal Rescue League is an open door animal shelter and operates a cutting edge, full service, low cost animal clinic for domestic pets. Mentor Janice Bernard is the Special Projects Manager. She handles projects such as humane education, feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), and pets for the elderly. She is new to the organization, as well as being new to mentoring City High students. She welcomed the opportunity to spend time with our school interns, and is quite pleased with her first experience. City High’s Intern, Clinton Scott, was a great match for the Animal Rescue League. He enjoys interaction with animals as well as researching medical topics for animals. Clinton found research fun and challenging. “I would find names of diseases and vaccinations for different breads and types of animals.” Clinton also helped with envelope stuffing, walking dogs and animal training. He was especially helpful when Comcast shot video segments of the dogs. Clinton is “always there for me, and I can ask him to do just about anything to help! It is always nice having an extra set of hands and he ALWAYS enjoys seeing new animals.” Clinton has learned so much and can now identify all different types of breeds and vaccinations. He also has a much better understand of animal behaviors. He was even able to identify the rare “sphinx” cat in his photo!

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Janea Price hopes to enter the medical field, and her internship in the Radiology Department at UPMC Shadyside Hospital was a great place to start! Her mentors Susan Litzinger and Deb Pirt appreciated the extra support, as did many of the patients who interacted with Janea. “It’s Important for us to have High School interns because it promotes early learning,” explained Susan. “Janea can then be exposed to professionals early on, and try to figure out what she wants to study for her career. Also, exposure to patients gives the student perspective and often a new outlook.” Janea learned that her mentors’ jobs are very difficult. Working with patients who are often experiencing pain or discomfort can be challenging at times. Janea helped put reports into the patients’ charts, and filed charts or pulled charts for the technicians. “Janea has great manners and always gets right to work” says Susan. “She is extremely helpful, learns quickly and is eager to do any task.” Her mentors have tried to expose her to as much as possible, including other departments and machines. With a patient’s consent, she was actually able to watch a Carotid Ultrasound! This experience has reinforced her interest in going to college to become a Physician’s Assistant.

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Courtney Clonan Dalessandro is the Constituent Services Representative in the Pittsburgh Office of Senator Arlen Specter. “This office is more constituent services-based than anything else. I do casework and cover around 17 federal agencies. I also do some community outreach. When Senator Specter travels to our region, I accompany him on his trips and set up various events, news conferences and meetings.” City High’s Brittany Hughes explained that although the work environment could get pretty stressful, she enjoyed the people in the office the most. She also didn’t mind the case work and answering the phones. “The people in his office work with the public and tell the Senator what the public thinks and is concerned about.” Brittany enjoyed hearing what people were upset or concerned about, but found it challenging when some would yell at her over the phone. Aside from taking calls from the public, some of Brittany’s daily tasks included checking email, scanning business cards and media, filing and casework. “I learned a lot from everybody in the office,” said Brittany, “I liked Courtney’s helpfulness, and that she was really down to earth. The older interns taught me college stuff that I will need to know it the future—and even about Bills and House Resolutions that I had no idea about. The staff also helped with different things such as answering questions; teaching me that the work environment doesn’t always have to be stressful, but can be fun too! I made a lot of friends and I will definitely stay in contact with everyone in Senator Arlen Specter’s office.”

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Michael Kennedy is an Assistant City Solicitor at the City of Pittsburgh Department of Law. He handles court cases, new ordinates, and labor and contract issues. Michael most often defends federal police officers in lawsuits filed against the City. City High’s Zakiya Hoots choose the field of law for her internship, but states that she has many different career ideas and interests. In Michael’s office, Zakiya has assisted the secretaries in handling the influx of “right to know requests.” She’s helped manage the records flowing into the office by putting the requests in order and entering them into the computer database. “Zakiya has handled every task. Everything has gone so well, and she doesn’t need a whole lot of supervision. She does her work quickly and efficiently,” explained Mr. Kennedy. Zakiya has learned a lot about working in a law office environment, and the realities of the legal profession. It has given her the confidence to enter any professional setting, and the experience to help her make an educated career decision. “I realized that I probably don’t want to study law. I now want to be a psychiatrist,” said Zakiya, but she explained that her time at the Pittsburgh Department of Law was valuable and helped her make an informed choice.

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Located in the heart of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, A Small World Early Learning and Development Center offers children ages 6 weeks to 6 years a full range of activities that encourage intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. It is an accredited public center and includes pre-kindergarten. Ms. Lynne Geidel is the Director of the school and mentor to City High’s Renelle Johnson. Lynne enjoys having a high school intern because it allows her to give back to the community. “Renelle is very loving towards the little ones; she reads to them and talks a lot to them”. Renelle has enjoyed her time with the children and the staff. “Miss Lynn is very helpful and has made my transition easier here,” said Renelle. When Renelle arrives the children are usually napping. As they wake up, Renelle helps the teachers prepare their snacks. She enjoys reading and interacting with them. “It’s always fun to see how they react,” she says. “Some kids can be physical, but I know how to handle those kids who are acting out.” Renelle is happy that her internship allowed to her be around children. She is now looking into colleges with education programs, to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.

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The Children's Institute is dedicated to promoting the well-being of children, young people and their families, and to providing services that meet their special needs. Ms. Amy Haid is the Director of Community Resources and Training. She places students and volunteers in jobs, and selects staff members to monitor and teach them. Angie Wyman is one of the first City High students to intern at The Children’s Institute. For her internship she divided her time between working in the pool, gym, and play room, rotating between these areas every few days. She likes the variety at her internship, and she is happy getting exposure to many different elements. “Angie is very conscientious, always on time, and has a great attitude,” observed Amy. “She always wants to work and learn, and she really seems to appreciate the experience.” The direct care with special needs children was an adjustment at first, but Angie has grown to really enjoy all of her interaction with the kids, volunteers, staff and parents. Angie plans to continue volunteering in her free time and over break. Her supervisor Lynn has always encouraged her to push through and make the most of her experience. Lynn looks forward to continuing to work with Angie even after the conclusion of her internship.

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The Student Conservation Association (SCA) offers real, hands-on experience to high school and college-age volunteers who are committed to conservation. City High’s David Perman explained how SCA gives high school students job opportunities by organizing cleanups in urban and rural parks and public lands. In the process of building trails, restoring habitats and countless other conservation-related projects, students are having an educational experience and becoming eco-responsible people. David’s mentor, Ms. Kerry Morsek, likes having a high school intern. “We work in youth development so it’s nice to have youth perspective and involvement. We can bounce ideas off of the teenager, and also, we recently lost out IT guy- so we got lucky with David. He was really able to help us out.” David input new applications into the computer, helped with event planning, created tallies, spread sheets, maps, databases, and called applying students to setup their interviews. “Kerry understands high school kids,” explains David. “She didn’t overload me with work or pressure me. It is a very down to earth place and I was able to work independently. I also liked that I learned more about the environment, like that Styrofoam never decomposes!” David is discovering that he has other career interests he wants to pursue, but he learned many skills at SCA that can be applied to any job, and he is grateful for the experience.

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The Children’s Institute is a new site for City High Interns. Mentor Amy Haid, Director of Community Resources and Training, talks about one of her first City High Students: “Sherral is always punctual, happy and excited to be here.” Sherral Woodall can easily be described as tremendously joyful at her internship! She loved working in the playroom with the kids and on occasion venturing upstairs with them to do arts and crafts. She always enjoyed her time with the children, no matter what activity was taking place. Amy explains that “it is important to have high school volunteers because we can offer them a glimpse of the profession early on. They then have a more realistic idea of what these jobs are actually like through shadowing and hands-on experiences.” After her experience here, Sherral has become more comfortable and confident in this type of setting. When the playroom is slow she would pass the time cleaning up shelves, and disinfecting toys. She enjoyed playing with the kids and finding new ways to keep them engaged. Sherral is considering a future in pediatric nursing. Whatever career path she takes, she is certain she will do something involving helping children. Sherral’s internship has confirmed this choice for her.

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Mentor Suz Pisano’s business card reads “Artist, Educator, Socialite, Diva” This describes her perfectly. Her accessories are creative and scream personality. City High’s Kelly Wiles was excited to enter a fashion related internship and didn’t realize just how much more she was going to see and learn. Suz not only owns her own design business, but also does costume designing for local theatres and events, and teaches at the children’s museum. “I already knew how to sew, but I have improved so much” explained Kelly. “I really like fashion and the creativity that goes on here. I enjoy coming here, being myself, helping with projects and making things.” Suz thinks it is important to have high school interns explore real world options. “I’m self-employed and Kelly can see what it really takes to make it.” Suz also appreciates Kelly’s “ability to make a decision or give feedback from her age perspective.” She enjoys sharing interesting opportunities and introducing her intern to new people. “Kelly was even a live fit model for a show I was designing costumes for. She worked extra hours and having her was very helpful!” Kelly has enjoyed every second of her internship, from cutting material, to going to the Children’s Museum. “I love Suz, everything about her. I love her personality, and she’s helpful, caring, and very loving.” Kelly knows their relationship will extend far beyond this internship experience, and is grateful for all of the opportunities she has experienced at this internship.

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Karl Ohrman is a Chartered Financial Consultant and the President of Coordinated Financial Services. This national firm provides deferred compensation and supplemental retirement plans to executives of non-profit organizations across America. After 38 years of practicing, Karl explains how his intern, Jason Pace “kept me on track technically.” Jason setup newsletters, created excel spreadsheets, loan statements, and often sat in on meetings. “Jason’s level of competence was so high that he was able to get right to work.” Jason loved being in a business setting and learning how to conduct meetings with clients and coworkers. Shadowing Karl gave him a better sense of the day to day responsibilities of a business professional. Jason explained how this experience reaffirmed his desire to go into business in the future. “Exposure to the environment and people has helped. Also, learning about work organization skills, professional conduct and interactions with clients are things I would never learn in school.” Jason expressed a true appreciation for his relationship with his mentor. “I can go to him with any problem. He is really good at editing and understanding.” Karl is sad to see Jason go. “I appreciate his intelligence, good manners, punctuality, intellectual curiosity and hard work. He was able to work independently. I could leave him with an assignment and he would have it done when I followed up with him.” Both Karl and Jason are sure they will stay in contact and call on each other in the future.

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Suzy Robinson is the Director of Volunteers at The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and has served as Mentor to Intern Joelle Harris. Although Joelle was not entirely sure she would be interested in working in music, she loves to sing and decided to try this internship after touring Heinz Hall. She now knows she made the right choice! Joelle has had a lot of fun working at the Symphony and was happy to have the exposure to the professional environment. Joelle got practical work experience by helping with volunteer programming. She has worked on the volunteer handbook, data basing the volunteer’s hours and addresses, and even filled in for volunteers at the front desk. Joelle especially appreciates the relationship she has formed with her mentor. “Whenever [Suzy] sat down and talked to me about my plans after high school, she would listen and not try to tell me what to do. She is always happy and things don’t get her down,” explains Joelle. Susy enjoys being a mentor, and believes that every young person should have an adult they can talk to – not just about professional plans, but life goals and struggles along the way too. “Joelle is very vocal, and will always speak up for herself. She is energizing and hard working. She has given me a sense of organization, and offers all kinds of support and a sense of humor.” Joelle has not just learned organizational lessons, but life lessons. “I learned how you can be respectful and professional, but still respect yourself and stand up for yourself.”

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Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. provides programs, classes and counseling for the public, to aid in increasing opportunities for homeownership. Mentor Emily Keebler explains that having a high school intern is just one more way to reach out to the community. City High’s Earl Coleman was a wonderful addition to the staff. His youthful perspective and contributions to the “My Money My Life” program were especially helpful when Emily tried to find ways to engage the 16-19 year old target group. Earl helped create a Finance Q&A on PowerPoint with questions and a layout designed to engage teenagers. “Earl is always willing to help, no matter what we ask of him, even when it is last minute. He will stay late to get the job done. He has a good attitude and great social skills for an office,” explained Emily. By observing and helping with teaching materials for different courses, Earl learned about good credit and saving habits to apply to his own life. Earl not only learned how to write a check, but learned how to create programs, web resources and materials that will target different groups of people. He explained that his exposure to a business environment was important. Additionally, understanding the mission of non-profit work and the people Earl has met have helped him throughout this internship process.

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In a time of teacher shortages, St. Agnes School believes strongly in cultivating the next generation of teachers in Pittsburgh. “Good education starts with good teachers,” Principal Patsy Coffield. “We need to share the wealth of knowledge.” City High’s Toni Turner aspires to be a teacher and jumped at the opportunity for classroom experience. “This school is special because students learn above their level,” explained Toni. “It is a private catholic school but they give a lot of scholarships so that lower income kids will get quality education.” The hands-on tasks given to Toni were similar to some of the responsibilities of a first year teacher. She spends her time making handouts, grading papers, entering grades into the computer, stocking library shelves, and running errands. She also gained valuable experience as a teacher’s aid in the classroom, and was able to help the first graders transition to a new teacher. “Tony takes suggestions very well, she is coach-able, and always making self improvements. This is a sign of maturity,” explains Patsy. Toni has learned how to adapt to a challenging work environment with demanding supervisors and demanding students. “Working in a school is not just fun and games,” explains Toni. “It is very tricky. No matter what obstacles are thrown at you, you must overcome them because ultimately it’s all about the kids.”

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“She worries a lot” says Ashley McAfee of her Mentor, Susan Mitchell, Attorney at Law (seen in photo on Ashley’s right.) “And it means a lot to me. It shows how much she cares!” Ashley remarked that when starting out, she didn’t expect to build such strong relationships with the lawyers, paralegals, and staff of Wilbraham, Lawler & Buba. “Now she is just like one of us,” says Susan. “We trust her with confidential materials and she has been individually responsible for many projects.” Susan says mentoring City High Interns is a great way to give back to the community without having to sacrifice time in the office. “We are excited when students like Ashley show an interest in the legal field, and we enjoy helping them develop their career path.” Ashley learned just how busy lawyers can be, which at times required her to look to other people in the office for instruction, like Paralegal Lynn Herzog (seen in photo on Ashley’s left.) “Ashley has matured a lot over the trimester. She has the ability to be self-sufficient and she is willing to go to other people for work. She has come to interact effortlessly; she is always busy, diligent and timely with projects.” The firm provides consultation, litigation services and litigation management for all types of tort and insurance matters. Ashley’s daily responsibilities involved a number of things such as scanning files into a database, working with medical X-rays, visiting the prothonotary’s office, and working at the front desk. Ashley enjoyed all of her tasks, especially those involving visits to different law offices and exposure to different professionals in the field. Her experience at WL&B has reaffirmed her choice to pursue a future in the legal field and she is very proud of the relationships she has forged with members of the firm.

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City Theatre’s mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays that engage a diverse audience. City High’s Christina Provident can attest to that home-like environment. Working on the sets and props has allowed Christina to flex her creative muscles and experience first hand all of the technical aspects behind the curtain. Her mentor, Tony Ferrieri, is the Director of Production and the Resident Set Designer. As Director of Production he overseas sets, cost, lighting, sound, budget, everything! Tony explained that he is like the dad at City Theatre. When designing sets and props for 5 or 6 shows a year, an intern’s extra set of hands comes in very handy. Although Cristina was not especially fond of working with the power tools, there was not a single task she did not enjoy. She spent a lot of time archiving props, buying things, keeping track of props that were borrowed, editing scripts, making new props, painting, and even moving furniture! “She is willing to do anything, is genuinely interested in the work. She has a great attitude.” Tony explains how it is also important to have young involvement in theatre. “They are the subscribers of the future. Even if she doesn’t work in theater she will appreciate the process.” Christina would like to continue her involvement in theatre, and plans to submit a script for next years Young Playwrights Festival.

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NEED stands for Negro Emergency Education Drive; a nonprofit organization designed to offer financial aid, counseling, and internships to help young African Americans to prepare for higher education. City High’s Kayla Calloway assisted her mentor, Ms. Arlene Holland, Student Services Coordinator, with incoming applications for aid, scholarships, and local or overseas grants. Kayla was individually responsibly for data entry of payment information, mailing checks, sorting mail, and helping with the outreach Need Leadership retreat. She worked on newsletters, college tour appointments and greeted people at reception area. Arlene states, “High School Interns like Kayla benefit from the business training they receive at NEED and the exposure to a professional work environment.” Kayla learned to do administrative tasks like mailing and filing, but more importantly, Arlene has helped her understand the nature and importance of the work done by this organization. Since inception in 1963, NEED has supported over 17,000 underserved youth to help meet their highest potential and enhance their quality of life through education. Kayla has learned that hard work is necessary when trying to empower and support Pittsburgh's next generation of leaders to overcome financial, class, cultural and social barriers. Ms. Holland has found her extremely helpful, stating that, “Kayla is punctual, consistent, trustworthy, and open minded. She is willing to learn something new, asks questions, and is easy to get along with and to work with.”

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Conservation Consultants is a non-profit organization dedicated to a mission of responsible energy use in homes and other buildings. City High’s Darcie Mather can give you a full tour of the building, explaining how everything from the heating and ducting to the solar panels on the roof are reducing energy costs and are better for the environment. “Since 1979 our services have saved homeowners literally millions of dollars on their energy bills” explains Indigo Raffell, the Education and Outreach Coordinator and Darcie’s mentor. CCI focuses primarily on education by hosting classes and tours. Darcie enjoys all of the issues CCI takes into account such as efficiency, global awareness, renewable energy, and solar especially. “I learned about watershed, composting, and solar energy,” says Darcie who was never afraid to ask for help or for more work. “I love Darcie’s punctual, agreeable nature,” exclaimed Indigo. “There is never problem; she is flexible, and has worked with a number of people. I know she is able to work independently.” In addition to her daily tasks of working on mailers, creating folders and pamphlets, updating resource guides, and giving tours, Darcie especially enjoyed taking part in the Allegheny Inter Unit, all day teacher event. Darcie spent the day helping designate parking, giving tours of the building, and had designed a dichotomous key for scavenger hunt. “I would work in this field in the future,” says Darcie. “It’s fun and interesting.” Darcie expressed an interest in studying environmental science and is looking forward to the school trip to Costa Rica, which is famous for being a wonderful eco-tourism destination.

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“Dogs need adoption the most” commented Makayla Lucas-Lipinski as she pet Jasper the 12 year old Bloodhound Labrador mix (pictured). Jasper is just one of the many animals looking for a home at the Western PA Humane Society. Her mentor, Chris Whyle, Director of Volunteer & Foster Programs, explains how some foster parents can have pets for years waiting for the right person to come along and adopt. Makayla often made follow up calls to new owners to ask about the well being of the animal and their satisfaction with the adoption process. She also divided her time, working in the Husbandry Department where she cleaned cages and played with the animals and assisting the Customer Service Department with office tasks. Chris explains how interns are an integral part of the Humane Society. “We are short staffed so there are all typed of jobs where volunteers can gain exposure. Makayla is always willing to do whatever is needed, whether it is animal handling, making adoption packets, or following up with owners after adoption. She is always pleasant and willing to help.” Makayla enjoys working with the staff and appreciates that her mentor is so helpful and easy to talk to. They have spoken about her plans to become a vet or zoologist, and what colleges offer programs in the field. Makayla volunteers at the Pittsburgh zoo in the summers and has found this experience at the Humane Society has enhanced her love for animals and her interest in pursuing an animal related career.

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“It was important to have a high school intern with us. We offer them a hands-on, real life experience. We can expand her horizons by exposing them to various areas of business,” says Mr. Bruce Klein owner of three very different photography enterprises. By exposing City High’s Annie Lehman to all three: Bernie’s Photo Center, The Camera Exchange and The Photo Antiquities Museum, she gained a larger understanding of the industry and the history of photography. “Before my internship, I only had experience with a digital camera,” said Annie, “I learned a lot about framing, creative hanging, historic photography, and how to be a docent (with Scott Yoss, Museum Education Director)”. Annie also was able to experience some of the processes in the camera shop. “I would take pictures, research products online, and I was in charge of the mailing database.” Bruce states Annie has been a pleasure to work with and a great addition to their team. “Annie is efficient. She finishes every task assigned to her, and she is an independent worker. She is committed to her work and gets it done right the first time.” Annie appeared right at home in the professional setting. When asked what was the most challenging part of her internship she remarked “reading the handwriting” as part of entering names into the mailing database!

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“Michelle always came in early, ready to work, with a smile on her face” said her mentor Cynthia Hill, the Care Management Coordinator for Gwen’s Girls. Michelle Phifer’s love of children and volunteerism made her the perfect intern for Gwen’s Girls which provides services for young women ages 8 to 18. With services that are holistic, gender-specific, educational and interactive, Gwen’s Girls facilitates the physical, emotional and spiritual development of young women. Michelle spent much of her time with the senior group of girls who were 15-18 years old. She enjoyed doing activities, listening to guest lecturers, and being outdoors with them. When they went on trips, she often stayed back with those who were unable to go. Michelle believes in the mission of Gwen’s Girls “to build the confidence of young women,” she explained, “who often don’t have the support they need at home.” Her internship taught her about responsibility, philanthropy, and how to empower others. Cynthia was very impressed with her strong work ethic and fervor for computer research. “She takes more initiative and has more enthusiasm than I would have expected for someone her age. She is definitely a go-getter; she’ll search for an answer until she’s completely satisfied with the outcome”. Michelle appreciated how her mentor was always there to help her, answer questions, or challenge her in new ways. Michelle was sad when her memorable experience at Gwen’s Girls came to an end, and in response Cynthia encouraged her to get a degree so she can return and get on board!

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Founded in 1972, by Chairman Louis D. Astorino, FAIA, Astorino has grown into a full-service company providing complete architectural, engineering, interior design, and design-build services. It has been consistently ranked as one of America’s top 500 Design Firms by Engineering News Record. City High Intern Fifa Clervil (pictured with Mr. Louis Astorino and mentor Susan Martelli) completed an architectural internship, and is now convinced that she will pursue a career in architecture. Under the direct mentorship of Susan Martelli, Fifa was exposed to a variety of processes. Working in the residential and design studios, Fifa learned about special filing requirements for architecture firms, stamping and embossing of drawings, CAD blueprinting, quality assurance and quality control to meet deadlines. Susan states, “Fifa really came out of her shell. She is outgoing, a team player, and most importantly, she is a self-learner. Fifa just absorbed everything going on in this business – like a sponge! Because she was able to grasp so much so quickly, we decided to let her create her own simulated architecture firm!” Fifa recalls her experience as “the greatest internship! Everyone made me feel so welcome and really listened to my questions. I learned about the importance of catching simple mistakes, and paying close attention to detail. I now am so good at double-checking my work and I feel more responsible and confident. Most of all, I love this work environment and only wish I had more time at Astorino.”

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City High’s Brandon Fritzley wanted an internship that provided real workplace experience in a technology environment. “I wanted to try out the technical skills I had learned in school and enhance what I already knew.” Mr. Lou DeVito, Operations Manager at Venture Outdoors, provided just the right experience. Venture Outdoors is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making the outdoor recreation community a vibrant centerpiece of the Pittsburgh region. They strive to increase participation in and appreciation for regional outdoor amenities while creating a sense that our community is an active and fun place in which to live, work and play. When Brandon arrived, things began to move very quickly for the business. Brandon played an important role in this transition. In addition to adding a fleet of 25 bicycles and adding office space, the company had an immediate need for tech support. Brandon rapidly caught on to the systems in use, and contributed with the creation of email “blasts” to members, providing updates to the newsletters, and working on the company’s “Go Guide” He also became more familiar with Access databases and was able to enter valuable information for his mentor. Additionally, Brandon participated in “Pittsburgh Cares” days, and helped his mentor clean up local boat docks. “Brandon just amazed me,” states Lou. “His dedication is admirable; he would not leave for the day until the job got done. We were able to trust him and rely on him so quickly, and he greatly assisted us with smooth tech support. City High has prepared him well to work in this environment.”

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Bidwell Institution and the US Department of Education create opportunities for students to receive Pell Grants and other federal aid in order to enter 1-2 year training programs specializing in medical and clinical office professions. City High’s Crystal Caven assisted her mentor Connie Geiger, office manager of the Pharmacy Technician program at Bidwell Training Center. Crystal was responsible for a number of projects. She spent her time stocking the drugs on the shelves, copying and compiling, sorting index cards, grading papers, and assisting the HR dept. When there was free time, Crystal was encouraged to sit in on the Pharmacy classes alongside students perusing careers as medical coders, medical claims processors, and pharmacy technicians. Crystal expected her internship to be mostly clerical but was pleasantly surprised to find she would spend a good portion of her time in the classroom. “I think the field is interesting, I have learned a lot about the body and the effects of different types of medicine” She enjoys interacting with the students and teachers. “Crystal is just fabulous, “says Geiger, “she’s part of our team now. She is a pleasure to work with; she is positive, flexible and takes initiative when she seeks out people to help and projects to work on.” Bidwell loves having interns because they are a community based organization, and it is important to reach out to the surrounding community and educate people of all ages. Connie will miss Crystal very much and hopes they will be lucky again with future City High Interns.

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Ayrelle Comans loves to write. She could hardly contain her excitement when her first published byline went to print for The New Pittsburgh Courier - one of the oldest and most prestigious Black newspapers in the US. Approaching its centennial in 2010, this weekly paper has reported and recorded history for the African American community of Pittsburgh through decades of trials and triumphs. Mentor C. Denise Johnson, Associate Editor, explains that by having a high school intern, they can expose a young person to a newspaper, showing them the many options available. “We appreciate Ayrelle’s energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to share her perspective. She keeps me acclimated to what today’s youth are doing and thinking.” Ayrelle enjoyed her writing assignments which included book, poetry and author reviews, as well as an article on ACT test preparation geared towards high school students. “I wanted everyone to read something I wrote –and they did!” exclaimed Ayrelle. The encouragement motivated Ayrelle to continue to push herself to become a stronger writer and take on more challenging subjects. “I learned to proof read better, stay more focused on the task, research stories and think about my audience.” Denise explained that Ayrelle followed instructions well. She became more comfortable with the draft process. “When she saw her first published article -she was kind of bouncing around—to say she was excited would be a gross understatement.” Ayrelle is proud of her accomplishments. She now has a true understanding of the process, and will continue to submit articles to the paper for publication. Ayrelle plans to major in Journalism or English in college and to one day be a full-time freelance writer.

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If an award was given for exceptional intern, Raven Sams would certainly be nominated. In the words of her mentor, Ms. Phyllis Stevens, Assistant Director at Neighborhood Legal Services Association, “…we not only mentor high school students, but also social work, paralegal and law students. So that Raven could get a ‘good feel’ of what we do at NSLA, she accompanied several of our staff attorneys to court. Two of these attorneys teach at the two local law schools. These attorneys were ‘very impressed’ with Raven. She was able to comprehend the Court proceedings quickly.” Raven received A’s on reflection papers she wrote for the attorneys. This is especially impressive, as the grades were given by one of the firm’s attorneys who usually grades law student papers. Because of Raven’s outstanding reputation while interning, the Dir. of Performance and Compliance at NLSA requested her participation in drafting self-help brochures for clients. Phyllis concluded, “I have never had staff request assistance from a mentee as I have with Raven. She is intelligent, mature beyond her years, and a credit to City High. She makes it very easy for me to want another City High intern!” When asked to comment on her experience, Raven graciously acknowledged the value of this opportunity. “NLSA exists to provide legal services for everyone, no matter what their economic situation. I was exposed to the PFA process, and saw the way thing work in court. I really enjoyed interacting with everyone here. My expectations were met and exceeded. I now am definitely considering a career in law.”

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Pennsylvania Culinary Institute offers culinary programs combining history and methods of the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu Program. This prestigious program is designed to provide hands-on training with comprehensive knowledge in culinary skills including food chemistry, sanitation, dietetics, nutrition, kitchen management and communications. Samantha Karpa, City High’s first PA Culinary Intern, was exposed to all of these aspects, and walked away with a broad introduction to culinary arts. Mentor James P. Kenney, High School Recruiter and Liaison for PCI, set up weekly rotations for Samantha, so that she could spend time in as many different areas as possible. Each chef graciously welcomed Sam into his or her training kitchen, and the experience was topped off with Sam spending her final week with a different school Dean each day! Samantha states, “I really learned how to clean up immediately after food prep, as time management is so crucial in this business. I guess my most challenging task was learning how to skin a fish! I really like this field, especially the pastry chef area.” J P comments about Samantha’s dedication and performance, “During the PCI break and at the close of each day, Samantha went above and beyond her internship requirement, and volunteered to help out in the business offices at the school! How often do you find that kind of maturity and willingness in a high school student? She is so friendly, nice to everyone, smart and willing to learn. Some of our chefs were surprised to learn that she was still in high school. Of every good trait Sam brought to this internship, the most important was her excellent responsibility. We are now confident that we’ll continue to host City High Interns, due completely to Sam’s outstanding performance.”

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The local office of The March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to raising necessary funds for birth defect research, hosted their first City High intern. Niesha Gittings spent her internship at the office, providing administrative support for Ms. Kelley Malcolm, Sr. Community Director. Niesha quickly learned about the organization, and was happy that her new mentor explained each of her office assignments clearly. She rapidly discovered how tedious and time consuming the fundraising mailings could be, but also learned to appreciate how important it was to get the job done. Niesha says, “I want to pursue business in college, and perhaps the field of marketing. Now I have a taste of the hard work that is involved in carrying off a project. I was challenged by some of the design work, and personally, I learned that I need to be patient, especially when something tricky comes my way.” Kelly recalls Niesha’s experience: “We can always use a new set of hands, and we quickly came to rely on Niesha’s support. She was so good about proofing her work, and she would willingly do anything the office needed. Her contributions to the layout of our Signature Chef annual event program were very useful. I think Niesha also learned to be more efficient, and I also learned more about mentoring a high school student. Our entire staff is grateful for Niesha’s contributions, and we are really going to miss her around here!”

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Intern Nee Taylor was happy to accept an offer to intern at General Dynamics / VIZ, an international leading maker of software. The company’s software developers and information designers create products based on advanced research into how people make decisions, work together, and interact with information. Nee connected quickly with his mentor, Project Manager Mr. Joe Pedrazzoli. “Joe is so helpful. He answers my questions well, he is supportive and he is patient with me. When I am not doing something the right way, he takes the time to help me learn and correct my errors. I am learning more about software coding, and my experience here is so valuable for me. My skills continue to grow.” Joe also appreciates his student intern: “Nee is a quick learner and takes constructive criticism well. These skills are necessary for an engineer.” Nee was challenged by Joe to learn specific software that can analyze data and support or contradict theories, called CoMotion Data Analysis. Nee began by taking a series of dates and map information from history - part of Napoleon’s troop’s activity. He laid out the data to prove or disprove the theory that the climate was responsible for battle outcome, not troop size. His second project of similar design utilized information from the Civil and Korean Wars to visually demonstrate how to enter and interpret data. Joe was pleased with Nee’s simulations; he brought Nee before a larger group of colleague to present this work, and is inviting Nee back to present to an even broader audience. Joe can now use Nee’s work to support his sales initiatives to outside clients. This internship has truly turned into a win-win situation for both Joe and Nee.

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Dominique Dutrieuille was one of two City High Interns at the Girl Scout Trillium Council Office in Pittsburgh. Girl Scouts of the USA is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls —where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls can build character and skills for success in the real world. The Western Pennsylvania councils recently underwent major reorganization, with regional councils being consolidated and staff being downsized. Ms. Kay Liss, Membership Program Manager, helped the interns navigate thru these changes, and this real-world experience, although difficult to experience, is invaluable for the interns. Even with the changes, the interns thrived. “I really enjoyed my internship because I got to do so many different things,” comments Dominique. “I helped out in the store, in the office with mailings, processed data for membership files and my favorite – I got to network with so many different people. I was surprised that I got to do so much, and I was so glad that everyone at the office made me feel so needed!” Kay adds, “Dominique was a welcome addition to our team. We included her in two community outings, and she did a terrific job of connecting with the public. She paid attention and knew just how to answer questions and talk to perspective girl scouts and adult volunteers. I was able to trust her from the start to complete her tasks. She is so efficient; although we have hosted many City High students, Dominique has taught me to raise the bar for the interns. These students are so capable, and I continue to develop the internship to broaden their experience with our organization.” Dominique summarizes the experience: “I am surprised to see how much work goes into the planning, and am so happy that I got the chance to help too!”

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West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) is comprised of some of the oldest and best-known names in healthcare in western Pennsylvania. From their inception, the system's hospitals have been in the vanguard of patient care, medical research and health education. West Penn accepts City High Interns into a variety of departments with assistance from Ms. Vicki Nesta, Director of Volunteer Services. Ms. Sherrie Rizza, Customer Service Coordinator, accepted intern Jomel Simonson into her department, and the entire office helped Jomel become familiar with help desk operations. Jomel began his experience by shadowing IT personnel on help desk calls throughout the hospital. Jomel then became skilled at reimaging computers, and assisted at the transport and set-up of computers for employees. Jomel states that he really enjoys this field. He likes working with the desktop computers and learning about the larger network and server connections. As far as new skills learned at his internship, Jomel recalls, “This internship helped me learn to deal better with people and customer service.” Sherri says that she really likes to give high school students a chance to see what an IT healthcare career is all about. IT support in a hospital directly affects patient care and she wants to show students how important proper IT support is for a healthcare facility. “Jomel has some good workplace skills, such as dependability and accountability. These qualities helped him fit into our team, and he has acquired a lot of new information that should be useful when making career choices.”

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City High Intern Meghan Williams decided to look for an internship site herself. She discovered the Carlow University Early Learning Center, and convinced the director to give City High a try. Meghan has actually exceeded her mentor’s expectations, so she can now also be credited with not only finding this site for her internship, but also establishing this site for future City High students! Meghan wants to become a teacher and also study Spanish. She was sure that she wanted her internship to involve children. Her mentor, Director Melissa Hankin placed Meghan in the 4-5 year olds classroom, supervised by the class teacher, Ms. Jennifer Johnson. Both mentor and teacher were on hand to comment on Meghan’s experience. “We really did not know what to expect from our first high school intern. Meghan really proved herself to us. She is punctual, independent, self-motivated, a fast learner and very genuine with the children. She took it upon herself to do little extra’s for the kids – like the time she brought in zoo puppets for the children. She always helped us clean up and get organized in the afternoons when the children nap.” Meghan learned some things too: “Melissa and Jen are such great teachers. They taught me how to act around the kids, and how to earn the children’s respect. They are also very disciplined and organized, and it works so well in maintaining order in the classroom. I learned how to interact with the kids individually. And I also learned one more very important lesson – these kids really love arts ‘n’ crafts – especially glitter!”

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Sometimes an internship experience is not what the intern expected. This was exactly the case for Jamisha Young, who completed an internship at Decker’s Auto, under the mentorship of owner, Mr. Jeff Decker, Sr. Jamisha thought she would want an internship exploring the career of a mechanic; so she started off observing the mechanics at Jeff’s garage, and then moved into the storefront to learn the retail aspects of the business. Jamisha discovered that she really wasn’t as interested in mechanics as she thought she might be. She soon discovered that she wanted to pursue a career in art, but with encouragement from Jeff, she finished up the internship experience. Her final weeks were completed by using a mechanic’s check off sheet for auto inspections. She began by observing and learning how to locate each item. She then trained on how the item is inspected, and if deficient, how it is replaced. Jamisha states, “Jeff really knows a lot about cars, but he also knows so much about running a business. I was able to see cars go up on the lift, learn how to change a tire, and see where ball joints and tie rod ends are located. Whatever I end up doing with my career, everyone should know about basic mechanics of a car, and now I have some idea of what the parts are and how they should work.” Jeff comments, “I wanted to keep Jamisha coming to her internship, even though she discovered that this may not be her first career choice. Learning how to complete what you start is a valuable life lesson, no matter where life takes you.”

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Carl Smith proved to be a dedicated intern from City High; so much so, that he has since been offered an opportunity to be hired part-time at “Curtain Call,” a unique store offering exclusive Pittsburgh Symphony gifts for music lovers. Carl began his internship wanting an experience in business. Mentor and Manager Michele Marion agreed to host Carl, and the experience has turned into a true success story. “I am grateful to have such a respectful and polite intern,” states Michele. “Starting with someone in high school gives me to opportunity to help instill proper work behaviors and help the student discover the true realities of the workplace. Being part of a team, where coworkers depend on you - this is an important aspect of retail, and Carl was easily integrated into our team! Carl also came to us quite technologically prepared, so I was able to get him working right from the start, managing our internet orders.” Michele also appreciates that Carl is a self-starter and remains motivated to perform competently. Likewise, Carl has developed an appreciation for his mentor. “Michele is personable and makes me feel welcome. She takes time to teach me what I need to know, whether its inventory, store display, pricing merchandise or customer service. I have learned that there is a lot more to running a shop than I imagined, and I even have begun to develop appreciation for classical music.” Both Carl and Michele exemplify a truly successful internship – they both feel like winners!

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Sometimes we have an intern with previous experience. This was the case for Dailynn Tate. Dailynn had formerly volunteered at Mercy hospital in the outpatient clinic. In order to expand her experience and provide new learning, Dailynn was placed at a different healthcare internship – volunteering at the Pediatric and Adolescent Unit at West Penn Allegheny Health Systems (WPAHS). Dailynn’s mentor, Ms. Dina Boyd, R.N., B.S.N. is the Unit Manager, and believes this unit is a good place to intern if a student is serious about perusing a healthcare career. A typical day at internship for Dailynn might include restocking the patient rooms for the nursing staff, stamping charts, holding, changing and feeding babies, and cleaning up in the playroom. Dailynn also created hallway bulletin boards for the unit. “I really, really enjoy holding the babies, especially when they quiet down when I pick them up. I learned how to be friendly and helpful to everyone, and this is a good quality to learn from nurses. They are very good at that. My expectations were met and even exceeded at this internship. I liked how the staff grew to trust me, and I especially enjoy the relationships I have formed with the nurses. Even the pediatric doctors took an interest in me and made me feel very welcome. I have discovered just how much I really want to work with small children for my career.” Dina also enjoyed Dailynn’s service and cheerful attitude, and has become quite fond of her intern. If a picture tells a story, the picture of intern and mentor (pictured at right) really says it all!

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Tajae Freeman was very successful at her internship as a classroom aid at AGH New Horizons Day Care. Her mentors have now agreed to host her again for a second internship. Tajae was sure that she wanted an internship working with small children. One visit to the center while she volunteers makes it very clear why she feels this way. Tajae has a natural talent to work with and care for small children. As soon as she arrives, the kids’ faces light up as they make their way to see her. Tajae immediately sits down on the floor and the kids make their way to her for some special hugs. Tajae’s face lights up too! She is in her element. Tajae wants to take her career plans further, and would like to study child psychology in college. One of Tajae’s mentors, Ms. Jane Costello, Assistant Director at the center, supports Tajae’s desire to work with kids. “We teach the interns about healthy measures practiced in day care. Tajae had an immediate comfort level with this job. She enjoys holding and rocking the younger children and babies. We placed her in the 6 month to 1 year old classroom and taught her how to ‘not play favorites’ with the children. She has grown into a smiling, pleasant, friendly and caring assistant.” Tajae concludes, “I needed to learn to speak up more and become more organized and directed. My internship has helped me do that, and I can’t wait to return here next summer.”

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Andre Wofford has completed an internship at the Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing Council (PRMPC) under the mentorship of Ms. Natisha Frye, Event Planner and Administrator, and Mr. Alexander (Nick) Nichols, President. PRMPC was established to connect certified minority businesses with major buying organizations. They are committed to building mutually beneficial relationships between minority businesses and corporate and government agencies. The council regularly accepts interns from City High, providing a variety of office experiences for the student. “We believe in providing a good example for students and we want to help high school students broaden their spectrum of the Pittsburgh region,” states Natisha. “While interning, Andre was a helpful and pleasant addition to our office. He always did whatever was asked of him. He needed little supervision, and with some encouragement he learned to complete tasks and then ask what he could do next for us.” Andre looks back on this experience with a sense of pride. “Natisha keeps the whole place organized. I helped her with some leg work for the annual gala, and after some practice, I became comfortable calling corporate CEO’s to invite them to attend an informational breakfast. I learned that office work can take much longer to complete that I thought, and I learned that I do want to work in the world of business.”

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LeShelle Urquhart served as one of two interns this fall at the Girl Scout Trillium Council Office under the mentorship of Ms. Kay Liss, Membership Program Manager. When LeShelle was asked to talk about her internship site and her duties, she replied without hesitation, “It’s not just all camping and cookies! I got to go along to two off-site functions: an after-school membership drive program, and a recruitment outing to Alcosan Water Co., helping to promote girl scouts. Some of my other duties included my help to prepare materials for community cultivation events, and help with office paperwork for membership information. I learned to check, complete and enter member records with accuracy into the scout’s membership database. One challenge I faced was a project I was assigned to compile evaluations. Since the evaluations were written by first and second grade scouts, it really took some time and patience. My total internship taught me to raise the bar for myself – to stretch my skills and grow. I know this will help me for the rest of high school, and especially when I go off to college.” LeShelle also states that her favorite duty was working in the scout store (seen pictured at right with her mentor.) “LeShelle is so observant,” states Kay. “She connects easily with people, and was able to add a high school perspective to our outings. She displays an energy and enthusiasm for her work, and is a pleasure to have around. Most of all, she displays an award winning smile – everyone at our office just loves having her around.”

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“I only ask once, and I can trust that the job will get done!” This is the observation from mentor Linda Klootwick, Enrollment Coordinator, Business Service Line for the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System when asked to describe her City High Intern. Sean Hogue made quite an impression on his mentor. “Sean started out with some amazing computer skills. He caught on so quickly to our computer systems and software, and was able to provide good support for me. Sean has also opened up during his time here. He has developed his office communication skills, which will help him in any class he takes, and any job he accepts. I only wish we had more time together, as I have been so pleased with my high school intern!” Sean comments, “I really got a history lesson, learning how the VA is part of the federal government. I worked with some computer programs here, in particular a VISTA UNIX based program for medical records. I also saw how different programs integrate information.” Sean’s primary project was to begin a compilation of SOP’s (Statements of Procedures) for Linda. Although the project will have to be completed by others, Sean got it off to a good start, and Linda will present the finished product to management. Linda concludes, “Sean has many good skills that will take him far in his studies and career path. He has been so dependable and reliable, and his work ethic and preparedness convinces me that I want to continue to mentor City High students.”

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Ms. Jane Miller, R.N., Manager, Emergency Nursing Services is all in favor of accepting City High Interns, but cautions the student that they will be supervised by a variety of staff, apt to change on any given day and by activity level in the ER. Intern Ryan Essel accepted the challenge, and within just a couple of days, comfortably adjusted to the ever-changing experience. Ryan mostly worked under the supervision of Ms. Denise Demborski, Clinical Nurse III (pictured here with Ryan). Denise is quick to explain the HIPPA related constraints associated with hosting a high school intern, noting that some of the experience is more observational than actual hand-on. Denise does strive to expose the intern to a variety of situations, and Ryan recalls his witness of an actual intubation (air taken directly to lungs.) “Ryan was never afraid, and is very comfortable talking to people. He also was very good at respecting the boundaries we set for him.” Ryan summarizes his experience, “I guess I learned that it’s less hectic in real life than what you see in ER scenes on television. Even with a lot of emergencies, this area remains calm and controlled. My mentor taught me how to keep supplies stocked, so I was able to help out in that area. Most of all, I feel like everyone here helped me become confident, and now I have better communication skills.” Ryan continues to show interest in the medical field, and would like to investigate a more specific career in vascular surgery.

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Television station PCTV21, located just minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, serves the region by providing public access on an equal opportunity basis to city residents. They offer training, equipment, and production services to the community for cable access. City High’s Kiersten Hancock accepted an internship under the mentorship of Production Manager, Mr. Kurt Haverstock. Kurt also manages the college interns at the station. Kiersten’s primary responsibility consisted of viewing text from tapes prior to airtime, to ensure that content was appropriate for airing. In addition, Kiersten was trained on working cameras, sound mixing, lighting and staging of a taped performance. She was also given time to devote to her own production. During her final weeks at the internship, Kiersten shadowed an assistant director to learn the processes involved in the directing of a production. Kiersten enjoyed working with the producers and directors, learning what goes into a complete production. Although Kiersten is deciding between college studies in forensic science or media production, her internship has provided some valuable insight into the workings of a real television station and some common workplace challenges. Kiersten states, “I am learning to speak up for myself and communicate better in a work setting. These are valuable skills that will help me as I complete high school and go on for future studies.” Kiersten is pictured here with the station’s Executive Director, Mr. Thomas Poole, and Outreach Director, Ms. Darlene Terry. Kiersten remains interested in media production and plans to be involved in City High’s newly formed Audio Video Club.

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City High was privileged to have two interns serve at The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, under the mentorship of Associate Professor Dr. Willa M. Doswell, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN. Dr. Doswell works in the Dept. of Health Promotion & Development, as well as serving as the community leader of the NIA Girls' Self-Development Group in the Hill District, and other after school sites in Homewood, Braddock, and Oakland. Interns Yasmeen Leftwich and Cornaya Moorefield were involved in several aspects of Dr. Doswell’s professional endeavors. At the nursing center at Pitt, both interns assisted with general office duties, learning professional work habits and proper business phone etiquette. They were introduced to physicians in fields that they might like to explore in the future. Yasmeen and Cornaya were given the opportunity to watch cultural videos and spend time with their mentor in her community outreach activities. The young ladies collaborated to produce a monthly newsletter for the outreach group. Each intern was also tasked to perform research and produce a paper on their topic of choice. One other opportunity during the internship was for each intern to attain official babysitting certification at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Cornaya states that her internship was very different than she expected. “There were many different things to do, but I am most excited that Dr. Doswell connected me with Dr. Lynch, so that I can now look into the field of human physiology.” Yasmeen also comments on her experience, “I am glad that I was able to spend some time on the Pitt campus. I learned that I do not want to be a researcher. I now know that I want to study clinical nursing. I also liked researching my subject – diabelemia.”

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Comet Way, a software and consulting company located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, provides software solutions and business intelligence for its clients, including smart card consulting and implementation. City High’s second Comet Way intern, Tyler Todd, was engaged in several activities for the business during his internship term. His daily duties included putting in PSSA codes for his mentor. He learned and provided Microsoft office support for pier-to-pier sharing, provided help desk tech support, and learned about Comet Way's open source application platform, Agent Kernel. He especially enjoyed learning about the smart cards which contain locked and encrypted data used in data exchange systems. One other area of interest for Tyler was the business intelligence aspect. “Understanding the software programming methodology was one of the challenges I faced at this internship,” states Tyler. “But I REALLY like this field. I like learning about advancements in technology and I enjoyed learning more about programming. My mentor always made sure I was learning, helping and involved. She even took me offsite to a client’s business to help with the IT end of their relocation.” Michelle adds, “I really enjoy having the interns. I’m learning to raise the bar for them – the students are more capable than I first realized. Tyler has been motivated, adaptable, easy going and good at customer service for us. I was able to take him on 5 different client visits and he always represented himself well.”

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Marnita Owens, a City High student interested in exploring a nursing career, spent her internship on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of West Penn Hospital. She was mentored by NICU Clinical Coordinator and Unit Manager, Ms. Lisa Graper, R.N., B.S.N. “My mentor and her staff taught me about the babies, and about what the nurses do on this floor. I was responsible for changing out blankets for the infants, and keeping supplies stocked in the rooms. I also helped to scrub the rooms and provide other helpful services for the nurses and staff. Once I proved myself to my mentor, I was able to be a little closer to the babies with supervision. One of the best experiences I had was the opportunity to actually witness a birth! My first exposure to West Penn nursing has been a great experience. I really want to study nursing, and now I have a better knowledge of what it takes. I liked my internship very much; I got an idea of what really happens on a unit like this.” Lisa summarizes her experience, “Marnita is polite, has a generous personality, is extremely cooperative and came to us a bit shy. We have watched her come out of her shell here. We were able to let her see ‘rounds’ on our floor and hear the doctors in action. She increasingly improved her phone skills at the front desk, and began to work independently. We will surely miss her around here.” As Marnita looks toward the future, studying nursing at West Penn Hospital is one avenue she would now like to consider for further education.

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Sarah Lyons originally began an internship at another organization, but the mentor was leaving the business, and the internship had to end. Sarah learned a valuable lesson about the world of work – always expect the unexpected. She was then placed at LPX (Leveraged Execution Providers), a managed freight solutions subsidiary of the Armada Supply Chain Solutions Company. Sarah was mentored by Ms. Nancy Postrech, Director of e-Commerce. LPX handles shipping for McDonalds, the world’s leading global foodservice retailer. Sarah interned directly in the e-Commerce department, reading through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) emails, entering the data into spreadsheets, and verifying the errors. Sarah’s final project at her internship was the creation of a two-month graphical report, compiling error statistics, showing the percentages of different types of errors occurring, and breaking out the errors by carrier. Sarah states that she likes this field, but has yet to decide what field she will actually pursue after high school. She liked how well everyone at LPX treated her and made her feel like part of the team. One other benefit from this internship was that she learned and used Microsoft Access database software. Nancy states, “It was such a good experience having Sarah here. I feel like we did not have enough time with her. She didn’t need much instruction – she’s a self-starter and a self-learner. I will be using the error report she created to continue tracking monthly error data for our organization. By creating this report, Sarah has left us with a very useful contribution.”

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The Consortium for Public Education encourages community and business involvement in the critical task of education. It concentrates on creating conditions for change that results in smarter schools and communities. The Future Is Mine is the Consortium’s initiative that reaches into schools to connect students to authentic career awareness. Its goal is to help all students pursue their dreams in an informed way that leads to future success. Mentor Holly McGraw is the Consortium’s Coordinator of The Future Is Mine initiative. It was a natural fit for City High student Kanesha Massie to intern at an organization that believes in career readiness training for high school students. “Holly is a natural mentor,” comments Kanesha. “The qualities I most admire in Holly are that she is so nice and she makes me feel like a part of the office. I learned so much from her, like how a team works best together. On my very first days, Holly designed an activity for me to go around to each staff member and hold an interview. This way I got to know each person and see what they do. This made me feel special that they would each take time to get to know me too!” Holly instantly connected with “Kiki” and enjoyed the time they spent together. She brought Kanesha into her world of work, letting her experience many aspects of her job. “I am so happy that I had this experience with Holly. She has really helped me to adjust and discover that I like to volunteer.”

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