Pathways Academy Celebrates Work-Based Learning
Student interns were the stars at Pathways Academy’s Internship Appreciation Showcase & Presentation, an annual event to highlight students who participate in internships as part of their education.
On November 20, Pathways students, staff, faculty, community members and business partners gathered at Goodwin College to celebrate students who had interned at one of several local organizations. The event was designed to encourage students to network, share their internship experiences, and thank their employers.
At the start of the evening, students presented what they learned as interns to guests who stopped by a row of tables where the students were stationed with lap tops or other props on display. One group of students, for example, showed items they had designed, including a logo for PELabs, one of the employers.
During the presentation part of the event, Pathways Principal Michael Marziarz explained the value of the school’s work-based learning model. “Students are able to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to the real world,” he said from the podium in Goodwin’s auditorium. “It goes from being a dream to something that is tangible.”
Maziarz was followed by former student speakers: a Pathways alum, Alex Martinez, who now works for Travelers, one of the employers; and Ymari Rigby, who continues to intern with The Hartford while she attends ECSU.
A highlight of the evening was a panel of six student interns who answered questions about their experiences posed by Internship Coordin
ator Kevin Flynn. They talked about learning to navigate professional environments for the first time, handling rejection during the interview process, asking for help on the job, and making the most of their internship opportunities.
The Internship Appreciation event was the seventh hosted by Pathways Academy of Technology and Design, which offers rigorous academics as well as career exploration emphasizing technology. The school’s approach supports the districts goal to prepare students for success in school and beyond so they graduate ready for college and life.
Internship organizations included AEFCU, Aetna, Cigna, Governors America Corporation, Global Communications Academy, Hartford Friendship Kidz Camp, Hartford Healthcare, Manchester Youth Service Bureau, Metro Hartford Innovation Services, Optum, Pathways IT, PELabs, Pratt & Whitney, The Hartford, Travelers, YOUMedia, and Youth Challenge of Connecticut.