My name is Cassandra and I am a Sophomore at Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School. I participate in the Corporate Work-Study Program (CWSP) at school, where one day a week selected students engage in work-study at a company or organization. Before entering our Freshman year, students need to attend Summer Bridge, where we learn working skills for half a day, and the other half we have English and math classes. At the end of Summer Bridge, we ranked different areas of work that we could potentially be placed in, such as nonprofits and medical fields. We rated these fields by level of interest and I highly emphasized that I wanted to work with a nonprofit organization. I wanted to learn more about the role of nonprofits in communities and how they work. I was placed at HFSV for my first year, and upon HFSV’s request I was brought back for a second year. This made me feel happy, excited, and proud because usually interns are not brought back for a second year. 

Working at HFSV has been a great experience for me because it has allowed me to grow as a young professional. Everyone that works in the office has assigned me at least one project within my time here that has given me the opportunity to grow and get out of my comfort zone. For example, last year I was tasked with interviewing everybody in the office to get to know them better, and it was honestly one of the scariest things that I had done during that time. However, I am really glad that I persevered and completed the interviews because it helped me develop my interviewing skills. Working at HFSV has also taught me that the workplace can be both fun and busy as you develop bonds with your coworkers. 

This internship program has really opened my eyes in realizing the importance of high school students having the opportunity to attain internships such as mine. When high school students have these internships, it allows them to become more professional, and it gives students working experience that will help them in their future. Interning at organizations like HFSV also allows high school students to form professional relationships with adults that continue to support our growth. I am proud to be a part of the team and look forward to what’s ahead!