Many students here at Fossil may feel stressed about deciding what they want to do after high school. Internships and apprenticeships can help explore career paths and gain experience for future opportunities.

Angela Iverson, who assists students in finding these opportunities, explained that internships can make it possible for students to test out careers while still in school.

“Internships allow students to test out what careers might be right for them before spending thousands of dollars on post-secondary training,” Iverson said. Internships can be paid or unpaid, and are often semester-long.

Apprenticeships are usually more hands-on. Iverson mentioned they allow students to “earn while they learn,” while being more involved and paid. 

Junior Bria Miller is currently participating in an IT apprenticeship with Poudre School District, and has had an interest in technology since she was young.

“I’ve always wanted to do something in technology,” Miller said. “There are so many things you can do in IT that align with your interests.”

Miller spends about four and a half hours working at her apprenticeship, starting each day at 7:30. With this, she doesn’t have a first and second period, so she’s back at Fossil for third and fourth period.  She learns both technical and real-world skills. 

“I’ve learned leadership and how to explain technical things to people who don’t understand them,” Miller said. 

Senior Marcello Colino is currently gaining experience through an internship at the Southeast Community Center. He is learning about engineering design, architecture, and community outreach. He does this via Google Forms and reaches out to teachers to gather feedback from the community for the center’s programs and needs.

Colino’s experience in this internship allows him to understand how large projects are created and designed, and also how they impact the community and the people who use the space.

“I’ve been helping design the layout of parts of the building and learning about engineering design and architecture,” Colino said. 

Outside of his internship, Colino is very involved in practicing leadership through his church youth group. He gives leadership lessons and practices speeches, developing public speaking and communication skills. Alongside this, he is also a mentor to a freshman student. He spends about 20 minutes after school daily, helping them by reviewing their planner, checking StudentVUE, and helping with homework and time management.  

A message Colino wishes to share with his peers is to “always question the people around you, never blindly trust spoken words. Put the effort in now to reap the rewards”.

Iverson wants to encourage students of Fossil to explore different programs like these. “There are opportunities in many different industries,” she said. 

These students’ perspectives highlight the importance of stepping outside of the classroom and pursuing career interests early. Internships and apprenticeships allow students to explore careers, real-world skills, and preparation for life after high school. Programs like these can bring students confidence in their academic journey.