Ben Hickey is interning at the Wakefield Daily Item.
By BEN HICKEY
WAKEFIELD — The future is now at Wakefield Memorial High School.
In the fall of 2024, all seniors attending WMHS were sent an email by the head of the guidance department, David Robinson, regarding the senior internship program. The idea was that any student wanting to experience work in the real world would intern for a local business in town. From there, the students would learn necessary skills and traits that they intend to use in their college major and beyond.
Students who participated in this program were not only given the benefit of working somewhere they may see themselves work at later in life, but also were given the opportunity to be excused from the fourth and final quarter of school.
To some, this was a great chance to get out and explore the field they intend to major in when they go off to college. Emma Waldeck, a senior at WMHS who is currently interning at both the Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital, said, “It’s been pretty good honestly. I’ve gotten to experience a lot of cool things kids my age don’t get to experience until they’re at the college level. And it’s been really nice and has helped me figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life,”
In just the two weeks that the senior internship program has been active, Emma has learned much in the hospital wing.
“It’s been very successful. I got to experience a lot of hands-on things which are good for me and my learning style. It also helped me figure out what I wanna do for different classes in college. For the first week I was interning, I got to be in the holding area with a bunch of patients that were coming out of surgery and heading into surgery. I was shown how to prep them and was given demonstrations to how the different HIVs work. Basically all the preparations made before commencing surgery.”
While Emma recounted the success of her internship, she also shared a very memorable anecdote.
“We had this one patient, I can’t say the name or anything else, that had a heart monitor in to help his heart rates. When we went in for the bypass surgery, the heart monitor decided to stop working. So, the patient started fading and we had to resuscitate him. He’s fine now, thankfully we fixed it in time.”
With situations like the ones Emma has described, it further amplifies the importance of the senior internship program. Emma was able to assist her team in a live-saving situation. Skills like Emma’s are what Robinson wishes for students to get out of their internship. To learn from an event, like problems before a bypass surgery, and apply the skills needed in that situation to others that one would experience in the work field of their choice.
Robinson said, “I hope they’re able to learn more about a field that they’re interested in. That they’ll come out of it with more knowledge in their field. That they know how to work in the workplace. I hope it better prepares them for any field outside their college experience or their future.”
With this being the first year WMHS has offered the program to seniors, the turnout has been a bit small. There are currently 14 seniors enrolled in the internship program, but that isn’t diminishing Robinson’s strong beliefs that the program will not only continue into the future, but that more students will enroll into the program.
“We were ready to have a few more aside from the 14. But this is a good, strong number; it allows us to really pay attention to the students while at their job site.”
Robinson noted how the school reached out to others in the district that had already offered the program long before Wakefield decided to do the same. He also shared how it has been a very exciting time for both the students and their employers.
“The notice that this program wasn’t here and many schools in the area had one was always on my mind. We’d reach out to many of the other schools to learn what worked and what doesn’t work. I think it’s a great opportunity for students to connect with the community. This year the employers seem to be as excited as the students, which is a good sign. I’m interested in getting feedback from this year’s students to see what they thought. What they thought worked/didn’t work and any changes they think we should make in regards to how the program operates.”
As the internship program continues for another four weeks, it is clear that an impact has been made on the personal growth of participating students. The internship program has been a pivotal step toward their future careers. With plans to expand and evolve in the coming years, the senior internship program at Wakefield Memorial High continues to serve as a powerful bridge between academic learning and real world experience.