Some Dallas ISD students were given the opportunity to participate in a summer internship program that gave them real-life experience in a work setting and provided them with practical knowledge.
Capital One partnered with the education nonprofit NAF to host an internship at Capital One’s corporate offices in Plano, where students were able to learn about branding, navigating corporate workscapes, and auto financial literacy over the summer.
“My hope is that by allowing the interns to peek behind the curtain, so to speak, a spark is created that channels future choices and goals that will achieve professional success,” said Sly Yeoman, an internship mentor and senior department operations manager with Capital One’s Auto Finance team, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The interns were reportedly picked at Capital One’s Virtual Career Expo back in March.
“I have learned so much about how to communicate while working in a corporate group setting, which is helpful because my ideal career would involve in-person work and hands-on activities every day,” said Brea Williams, a senior at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas ISD, the DMN reported.
More than 30 students were chosen to participate in the program, including a number of Dallas ISD students.
“The interns are the most motivating part. Watching them learn valuable corporate skills while creating relationships and learning about careers they might never have dreamed could be possible makes any extra hour over the summer more than worth it!” said program facilitator Caitlin Schmidt, per the DMN.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas ISD has been struggling to get its students college-, career-, or military-ready. According to the Texas Education Agency’s latest accountability report, only 59% of qualifying students were considered college-, career-, or military-ready by the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The statewide average was 65%.
Additionally, only 41% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams that year, and nearly 20% of the graduating Class of 2022 did not earn a diploma in four years despite the hard work of the district’s talented educators.
