Senior Will Rapier comes from a family of investors and always assumed he, too, would find a career as a financial advisor. From a young age, Will’s uncle taught him about the stock market which sparked his interest in finance.

Currently, Will is working as an intern for his uncle, Robert Smotherman, at Edward Jones.

“Being able to learn from him every day seemed like a great opportunity,” said Rapier.

He was able to acquire this internship and earn high school credit through Bardstown City Schools’ Path2Pro program. The Path2Pro program is a student-driven, individualized learning plan that is designed to assist students in discovering their purpose in life, developing their academic and post secondary goals while determining their personal and professional passions.

Workforce Development Coordinator Lance Blanford oversees the Path2Pro program and helps Bardstown High School students find internships to explore possible future careers.

Will earns high school credit for his internship at Edward Jones. Since August, he has begun his school day at the Edward Jones office spending his first period there every morning. He returns to the Bardstown High School campus at second period for his other classes.

Through Will’s internship at Edward Jones he is learning the fundamentals of financial advising and how to interact with coworkers and clients. He credits his personal finance, computer tech and accounting classes at Bardstown High School for helping him build the business background he needed for this internship.

On a typical day, Will says “I ask questions I come up with the day before. After a discussion, I observe my uncle and learn how to better help individuals with their goals.” He said this has taught him “the importance of learning communication skills and preparing the day before.”

Will’s internship has also helped him decide his future endeavors after high school.

“Through my internship, I have decided to pursue a degree in finance in college,” said Will.

This experience has not only helped Will decide his plans but has also impacted him in a positive way.

“My uncle has inspired me to do what I love and tailor my passion to where I can help.'' To Will that’s the best part about this experience.

Upon graduation Will plans to attend the University of Kentucky and continue to learn and grow more in finance with hopes to become a financial advisor like his uncle.