Student Interns Spotlight Series

Meet Hannah Higgins, Senior  BHS

Internship Location:  Blue Creek Cove, Clarksville, VA

Future Career Goals:

After high school, I intend to pursue architecture at a four-year institution and obtain my brokerage degree in order to work as a real estate agent. My ambition is to start my own architecture firm, real estate agency, and café.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

Working at a café has taught me a lot about hospitality management and customer service. I've learned to be responsible, trustworthy, and dependable. It has taught me how to multitask under hardship and stress while preserving a pleasant, upbeat mindset throughout those long hours. Overall, it has taught me how to run and manage a café, create a welcoming environment for customers, and develop a sense of community among coworkers and friends.

Meet miranda ellis,  senior PVHS

Internship Location:  South Hill Elementary School, South Hill, VA

Future Career Goals:

My future career goal is to be a kindergarten teacher at an elementary school.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

This internship has helped me with my goals by giving me experience in an actual classroom where I get to work with students and see how a classroom functions from a teaching perspective. It has let me get hands-on experience with helping one-on-one students and learning things I will need in the future when I have my own classroom.

MEET JONATHAN HOWELL, SENIOR pvhs

Internship Location: MCPS Summer Intern Program

Future Career Goals:

I plan to attend Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida in the fall of 2022 to study criminal justice. Upon graduation, I want to become a police officer and later possibly pursue a position on a S.W.A.T. team.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

Technology is an area that touches every part of our lives. My internship gave me opportunities to learn more about computers. I learned how to work on broken computers and help fix them. I also assisted with memory wiping laptops and computers. Additionally, I learned how  to rewire ethernet cables.

 All these computer skills learned during my internship or within my Computer Information Systems class will be helpful to me as a future college student preparing for a job within the criminal justice system. Although I still have a lot to learn, my internship gave me a great opportunity to learn new skills that I will use for the remainder of my life, no matter what my future holds.

MEET TAMYA GARNES, SENIOR PVHS

Internship Location:  MC's Kids, South Hill, VA

Future Career Goals:

I aspire to be a special education teacher and a loving mother.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

It has pushed me further towards my goal to becoming a teacher and helped my love for children grow.  Working at MC’s Kids showed me how special it is to watch children grow and learn.

MEET AYRIN MATTHEWS, JUNIOR PVHS

Internship Location:  LaCrosse Animal Hospital, LaCrosse, VA

Future Career Goals:

My plan is to graduate high school with a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate and license from the Virginia Board of Education. I will enroll in a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program and ultimately become a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). I will pursue a degree in Postsecondary Nursing as well.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

This internship has helped me grow emotionally and mentally. All medical fields require tough, devoted people, regardless if it is in an animal related or a human related field. Horses, dogs, cats, and sheep take the same medications that humans do. Antibiotics, painkillers and anti anxiety medications are approved for both. When entering the facility you notice that the equipment that is used on animals is almost exactly the same as those used on humans! I am extremely thankful for Dr. Edens and her wonderful staff for allowing me to gain experience and knowledge with them.

meet evelyn ocampo-venegas, senior pvhs

Internship Location:  State Farm Insurance & El Huasteco

Future Career Goals:

My plans are to go to college and major in Finance. I also want to open my own bakery.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

The experience that I received has been great.  I have learned new skills for the future and I can see that there is so much more to learn.  My classes and internships taught me customer service skills that will be useful in the future.

meet jordan brown, junior pvhs

Internship Location:  Chase City Church of God, Chase City, VA

Future Career Goals:

I plan on being a counseling psychologist working with all ages.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

The experience that I have received has helped me see many types of behaviors.  I also see the developmental needs for different age groups.

meet grayson kellett, junior pvhs

Internship Location:   313 Franklin - Cocktails & Kitchen

Future Career Goals:

I want to become a writer, actor, and director.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

It has taught me better communication skills as well as how to work in a team.

MEET TONY GARNES, sENIOR, PVHS

Internship Location:  South Hill Enterprise, South Hill, VA

Future Career Goals:

A career in Photography, Photojournalism

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

I have had an amazing experience working with the South Hill Enterprise. It has helped me a lot with becoming well organized and staying on schedule. I am able to take more risks and be more social with others while working. It also gives me experience in the photography field.

MEET ASHLYN LEWIS, sENIOR pvhs

Internship Location: Chesterfield Havoc Youth Sports, Inc.

Future Career Goals:

I plan on attending a four year university to major in political science or prelaw. I then want to attend law school to become a sports law attorney.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

This internship has given me the opportunity to work and grow in a sports related field. I have learned how to communicate respectfully and clearly over emails, text, and calls.  I have also learned research skills that I can carry with me through college. I believe this internship has been incredibly beneficial for my future career goals because it has given me background knowledge as to how sports/sports teams work behind the scenes.

MEET NAKYA GARNES, SENIOR PVHS

Internship Location:  MC's Kids, South Hill, VA

Future Career Goals:

I would like to get my BSW.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

Although my goal isn’t to become a teacher, this program made me better understand child development and this will be useful for me in a career in social work.

MEET COLIN SOLES, SENOR PVHS

Internship Location: Home Depot

Future Career Goals:

To major in business in college, and pursue a career in the marketing field.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My internship has taught me the basics of Marketing. I have also learned the practices that generate excellent customer service which help to boost customer satisfaction and ultimately leads to increased revenue.

meet john mcknight, senior pvhs

Internship Location:  Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office

Future Career Goals:

I plan to obtain my Associate's degree from Southside Virginia Community College and then my  Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.  My goal is to pursue a career in Criminal Justice.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

Working with the Sheriff’s department has taught me the true criminal justice system from the courtroom to the patrolling deputies on the road.  My internship has taught me valuable life skills on how we humans should treat each other regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, etc.  Through observation and conversation, I have learned facets of the law and how each part of the criminal justice system works together to ensure that the law is upheld and that justice is served.

meet t'kira tucker, senior bhs

Internship Location:  Chase City Elementary School

Future Career Goals:

I want to be either an art therapist or a psychologist.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

It has helped me because I work with different types of learning styles.  I want to help the students and keep them from struggling.

MEET JACOB EDMONDS, SENIOR BHS

Internship Location:  Harrison Clements' Cabinet Making

Future Career Goals:

I want to open my own furniture building business.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

I have been able to learn new techniques for building cabinets and furniture. I have used different tools and learned the differences in the types of wood and their strength.

MEET ZANDASHA STONE, SENIOR PVHS

Internship Location:  Americare Plus

Future Career Goals:

My career goal is to graduate high school in the next 3 months, attend Southside Community College, earn my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education, and eventually open a child daycare center.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

As a caregiver, I have learned how people grow and develop, to work and listen to concerns, and  to assist my patients with what they need.

I have realized how much attention and patience I have to have when caring for others regardless of their age. My passion is working and helping children learn, listening to them, and putting smiles on their faces.  My time as a caregiver has prepared me for that role.

meet william stuart, junior pvhs

Internship Location:  Building Blocks to Success

Future Career Goals:

My future goal is to have my own telehealth business helping teens or adults with their own traumas.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

This internship has taught me many things including what goes into running a business; in person and through telehealth.  It taught me skills such as making schedules, finding clients debts, and documenting records on the computer.

meet natasha clary, senior pvhs

Internship Location: McDonald's

Future Career Goals:

A career in Culinary Arts

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My experience at McDonalds has been absolutely wonderful. The job has mentally and physically prepared me for the real world. It has helped me increase my knowledge in cooking skills and break my shyness that I had when it came to dealing with customers. It has taught me how to be responsible when handling food and money  and I have learned particular procedures so that all of the customers and myself are safe. Working at McDonalds has truly had a big impact on my life in so many positive ways.

meet hunter gauldin, senior PVHs

Internship Location:

Alan's Small Engine Repair

Future Career Goals:

After graduation, I plan to attend ATI in Virginia Beach and study Heavy Diesel & Welding.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

I have learned people skills and how to work with customers.  I have gained knowledge/skills because I have been able to build small items for customers such as dog boxes for customers, made custom brackets, welded lawnmower decks, custom fabrications, worked on engines, etc.

meet alexis matthews, junior pvhs

Internship Location:  LaCrosse Animal Hospital

Future Career Goals:

My goals for the future are to collect data and study numerous diseases

and viruses so that hopefully I can help to contribute a cure.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My internship has helped me get my foot in the door for future medical work. Working with the animals and

providing care for them is just a step in readying me for my future career. I have loved working with the animals here and I can’t wait to start studying more for my future.

meet jasmine newton, senior BHS

Future Career Goals:

I want to be a teacher in a daycare center.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My time at the YMCA has provided me with many experiences in dealing with youth programs.  I really enjoyed spending time with the children while they played their basketball games. I worked in the office and I learned that there is paperwork required when sponsoring youth activities. I enjoyed working with children at the YMCA each day.

meet tyra dennis, senior bhs

Future Career Goals:

My future career goal is to become either an elementary school psychologist or a child psychologist. My overall goal is to help children and adolescents cope with any mental health issues that they have, and to be a listening ear for children and adolescents when they are going through a tough time.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My internship has taught me that all children want is love and attention. I have gained patience and understanding for young children throughout my internship. I feel as though my internship was an essential experience to have before going into a field of a career working with children.

meet ja'asia crutchfield, senior pvh

Future Career Goals:

I plan to attend Southside Virginia Community College to obtain my Associates Degree in Nursing and become a Registered Nurse.  My goal is to be a travel nurse and and ultimately earn a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

This internship experience has helped me strengthen my personal and professional aptitude when it comes to handling everyday problems.

meet devin gregory, senior bhs

Future Career Goals:

I plan on attending Southside Virginia Community College this fall and graduating with my RN in 2025. I will then pursue travel nursing as my career.

How has your internship experience helped you with your future career goals?

My internship has shown me how to work well as a team and work directly with people. It taught me how to work well under stress and to always keep a positive attitude.