Front: Shi'an Rhone, Randy Cabrera, and Chelsea Lollar; Back: Brooke Rosell, Madeline Chong, Briceida Garcia Mendoza, Kayte Toscano, Vanessa Mejia
While many high school students are spending their summers enjoying their time off, going to the beach or other outdoor activities, a small dedicated group of young people are working to open doors for their future careers.
As part of the work program, interns are also trained on specific work-related skill sets, including building interpersonal relationships. Kaiser Permanente partnered with the local San Mateo Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters group to provide weekly practice sessions on public speaking, professional interaction, and interview skills.
“This experience has been terrific,” said Chelsea Lollar, a Sequoia High School student working in the Public Affairs department. “The training I have received has allowed me to excel in an office environment and receive a step ahead of my friends when it comes to finding a job.”
"This experience is also invaluable for our Toastmasters group," said Samya Boxberger-Oberoi, the President of the Club. "We have truly enjoyed facilitating the Youth Leadership program in the summer. The interns are so talented. It is great to watch them grow and become more confident."
Although the summer may be flying by, the time spent on the job and the lessons learned in the leadership program are preparing these young people to take up leadership role in the 21st century workforce.
The program, started in 1968, has benefited more than 18,000 students across Kaiser Permanente's service area. During this time, many of the interns have gone on to bigger and better things. In fact, Bernard Tyson, Kaiser Permanente's new CEO, started his career as an intern at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center administrative offices.
When the program wraps up all the interns will be returning to high school. Chelsea Lollar is looking forward to her senior year, and brings a different perspective with her because of the internship. "The opportunities and experiences throughout this internship have motivated me to aspire towards making a difference in someone’s life and one day becoming part of the medical field" Lollar said.
Contributors to this article:
Chelsea Lollar, Intern, Kaiser Permanente San Mateo Area
Matt Jacobs, Community & Gov't Relations Mgr., Kaiser Permanente San Mateo Area
Source:
http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/groups/joe-fragolas-blog/p/local-youth-preparing-to-lead
