By Zoe Loizeaux, Mia Padovano, and Juliet Rotondo
Anna Kearney is only in 12th grade, but she has spent the past month hearing stories of drug addiction while working alongside an art therapist at St Vincent’s Hospital.
Kathleen Denvir, also a senior, was able to see how the music business works while tagging along at litMUS Music company as an intern.
The two are part of a Rye High School program that started in 2012 as an experiment for a select group of students and has grown to this year match every student in the class with a real-work experience.
Teacher Jennifer Giaquinto, who became internship supervisor in 2018, said she’s pleased to see the growth in the program.
“My mission as coordinator has been to expand our reach into the community and beyond, seeking new internship opportunities for our seniors,” she said.
Launched by former RHS Principal Suzanne Short and Guidance Counselor Jenifer Herwick, the senior internship program expanded to all seniors in 2014. The idea is that during their last month at Rye High School seniors could learn about careers with hands-on experience somewhere outside of their school walls.
The Rye Record hosted five interns. Some of the other internships this spring were at: a travel agency, a cardiologist, a physical therapist, CAA sports, an EMT, a gardener, Rye Golf Club, Soul RYEders, an orthopedic/neurosurgery practice, Milton Point Provisions, real estate firms, a veterinarian, MyRye.com, Rye Children’s Museum, and Rock Island Sound.
Kearney said that with her background in art and an interest in mental health, she “was looking for an internship that integrated some sort of creativity in it.” Interning at the addiction rehab unit at St Vincent’s, allowed her to combine creativity with psychology and behavioral sciences.
“It has been such an eye-opening experience,” she said. “Many of the days I learn about incredibly serious and heavy drug-related stories, but it’s the little moments where I can make a client smile or laugh that make all the difference.”
The experience has inspired her.
“Most of my life I have always wanted to become an artist, like a true freelance artist,” she said. “But after this internship I have seen how rewarding it can feel to truly be helping people and giving back while practicing something I love. Art therapy is an ideal career path for me.”
This year internships included working at the Westchester County Airport, being a teacher’s assistant in one of the elementary schools, and working with animals at the Rye Nature Center. At the nature center, intern Kaiya Devitre said, she “taught kids about the butterfly life cycle and went on hikes to experience outdoor learning.”
Kate Burbank, who was an assistant to 5th grade Midland teacher Andrea Silviotti, said “I loved interning at Midland. Being able to reconnect with my old teachers while helping out the students was a really rewarding and full-circle experience!”
Denvir was pleased with her experience at litMus Music.
“I’ve always been interested in pursuing a creatively driven field from an analytical viewpoint,” she said, adding that she believes “creative markets are projected to have expansive growth as the digital age continues,” which contributed to her internship selection.
“I definitely see myself pursuing something in a similar vein of work, but what I’m most excited about is that I don’t need to have an answer to this question yet,” Denvir said. “I have four more years of learning and have the opportunity to garner so much more experience before I find the right career.”
Because the senior internship replaces the last month of school, it eliminates the feeling of “senioritis” and “gives seniors a chance to engage in real world experiences and develop self- confidence” Giaquinto said. “In previous years, the senior internships have landed students summer job opportunities, college internships, and even career opportunities.”
Most students like their internships, but even if the student has a bad time, it allows them to understand what they do and don’t want in a career.
