A typical January in REACH means we are preparing for immersions and internships for our students. While this work continues, it looks a little different this year due to both education and business guidelines.

REACH students typically are able to do 4 different immersions in their career fields of interest. These immersions will not be in person this spring. Instead, our REACH intern has been meeting virtually with all REACH students to discuss career interests. Based on these conversations, our intern, Mikaela, connects REACH students with local professionals to discuss their path to their chosen career. In some cases, the professional has been able to offer a virtual behind-the-scenes look by simply walking the floor of the business with their phone or tablet. This has allowed even better access to areas where live tours are not able to go.

For our REACH seniors, internships and work experiences are still an option. Our students are hired directly by each company so are subject to the same rules and guidelines as all other employees. While some of our seniors are already employed in their focus area, we still conduct interviews for all of our students in order to build on their interview skills. Any student who is not already employed in their focus area and is in good academic standing is eligible for an internship.

Many of our local high schools focus on career exploration in the spring semester. Currently, live presentations are not an option. However, there are a number of high schools that are hosting virtual career focus groups. During this presentation, professionals will describe their current position, why they were interested in this career area, what a typical day looks like, and their path to this job. Schools are looking for professionals from entry-level all the way up to executives. Interested speakers should contact Nicole in order to be connected with a local school.