As Trinity High School students head to their internship sites, they may not realize the significance of this year. However, for the school as a whole, this academic year is the 10th year that the Pre-Professional Internship Program has been leading students and Cleveland businesses to success.
During the past decade, Trinity students in grades 10-12 have developed their skills and talents by immersing themselves into more than 70 organizations throughout the region. One day each week, students receive real-world preparation through professional internships and workplace experiences. The rest of the week they focus on academics.
“Having young eyes around working makes everyone a little bit different. It takes you from the monotonous day-by-day to becoming a mentor,” said Dan Storey, who has been administrator of Villa St. Joseph, a nursing home, for 11 years. Villa St. Joseph is one of the many corporate partners that welcomes Trinity student interns.
“When you mentor, you normally perform at a higher level. That’s what we see more often than not (in employees). They may not be a leader in a specific department, but now that they are teaching the students and being put in that role, they elevate themselves. They have that atmosphere of wanting to be good for that next generation coming up,” Storey said. “We want to show them the right things to do -- the mission of the sisters -- that’s really what comes through every time they are here. It definitely makes a difference.”
Students are equipped their freshman year with tools to help them succeed, such as resume building, interview preparation, workplace etiquette, brainstorming career interests and more. Each internship offers students the ability to explore their interests and professional paths before college, which could help save both time and money going forward.
Students can describe what it was like to scrub in on brain surgery, detail their research findings after studying the factors related to a mother choosing to breastfeed, describe the visual identity they created for a client, or what it was like to have their own book published. The Pre-Professional Internship Program transforms education and the futures of young adults.
"The Pre-Professional Internship Program gives these young men and women a wonderful jump start on discovering their passion and career interests, while giving the region a great opportunity to retain our homegrown talent." Matt LoPiccolo, customer service and supply chain at Swagelok, a Solon-based manufacturer of gas and fluid systems components such as valves, hoses and gauge. Swagelok is a corporate partner in Trinity’s internship program.
In the past decade, 615 of Trinity’s students have gone through the program. A recent event celebrated the anniversary. Both alumni and program partners were honored at the celebration, which featured program success stories. Like many Trinity graduates, program alumni have achieved success in the business community due in large part to their experiences within the internship program.
“We are so grateful to our partners who have committed to the program and are really the life force of what we do,” said Barb Dottore, PPI Program director. “Our success can directly be attributed to them and the hard work they and our students put in each day.”
"I like the diversity the program provides to high school students through several placement options. I like that future leaders are being outfitted with the skills to succeed at such an early age,” said Chad Anderson, nurse manager at Hillcrest Hospital.
To learn more about Trinity’s PPI Program and for businesses or organizations interested in getting involved with the program, click HERE.
Throughout the month of January, the Northeast Ohio Catholic e-newsletter is featuring stories on Catholic schools in celebration of Catholic Schools Week 2020. To read more stories on how students are not just learning the faith but living it daily, click HERE.