20 high school students in the Cherry Creek School District updated their resumes and added to their skillset through the Cherry Creek Schools’ executive internship program this summer. Three of our students share what they learned in their own words:
Reema Wagh, senior at Grandview High School
South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce
I wanted to learn more about business and get involved in the economic aspect of my community. The Chamber has even asked me to continue working a few hours a week during the school year, so that I can get more experience.
One experience that was meaningful to me was attending a VIP member summer party. There I got to meet people from CU, the Denver Broncos, and even the CEO of RTD. It really helped me build a network of connections that I will use for the rest of my life.
I admire the dedication that I see in all the people I meet. Everyone loves what they do and are willing to put in the work to grow and learn. I want to live my life with that growth mindset and passion for all my endeavors.
Bryce Hunter, 11, Elevation
Visit Aurora
I interned this summer with the welcoming community staff at Visit Aurora. From day one, they invited me into their close-knit community and provided me with invaluable experiences. I was eager to prove myself as part of their intern family. Being passionate about marketing and sales, I realized my unique perspective as a younger Gen Z individual could provide valuable insights for targeting a younger audience. One of the most rewarding aspects of my internship was being involved in company image marketing photography. I had the chance to capture the essence and beauty of Aurora, highlighting its vibrant culture and captivating attractions, and working hand-in-hand with local businesses. The photos I took are proprietary to the companies I took them for through my internship, but I am attaching a photo I took separately that is in the style of those I took for my work. My emphasis is on interesting angles and lighting.
Visit Aurora aligned perfectly with my interests and career goals, as they encouraged collaboration with the marketing team and provided numerous opportunities to learn about client dealings from the sales team, giving me an invaluable real-world business education. Their dedication to welcoming visitors and showcasing the best of Aurora has inspired me to bring the same enthusiasm and commitment to my own entrepreneurial endeavors.
One meaningful experience during my internship was working with Randi, the Vice President of Marketing & Administration at Visit Aurora, to understand how data can be utilized to market to specific audiences based on the data collected about people's preferences and their destinations throughout Aurora. This experience was significant because it allowed me to see the practical application of consumer insights and how targeted marketing can attract more visitors to Aurora. It reinforced the importance of data-driven decision-making and its impact on the success of marketing campaigns.
Working closely with Visit Aurora, I had the opportunity to contribute my skills and ideas with confidence, as they encouraged me to think outside the box and explore innovative strategies for community engagement. One important lesson I learned from my internship at Visit Aurora is the crucial role of community in sustaining a company. Witnessing how their close-knit team worked together to achieve common goals highlighted the significance of teamwork and learning from others. My experience at Visit Aurora instilled in me the importance of collaboration and fostering connections within the community. By witnessing firsthand how Visit Aurora worked hand-in-hand with local businesses, organizations, and residents, I learned the significance of building strong relationships to uplift the entire community. I plan to apply this lesson to my schoolwork and future career by actively seeking collaboration, valuing diverse perspectives, and fostering a sense of community wherever I go. Recognizing that collective effort and cooperation are essential for success, I aim to build strong relationships and leverage the power of teamwork in all aspects of my academic and professional journey.
The experience with the internship has sparked new passions and opened up new doors of opportunity for me! I am currently doing the Project Management for Entrepreneurs class at CCIC and have formed a partnership with another student where we are looking to provide marketing support to local businesses that are under-resourced, to see if we can find a niche opportunity applying the skills I learned in my internship. I also am utilizing what I learned at Visit Aurora with my Can Campaign project and am presently putting together a proposal for groceries to donate soon to expire cans or dented cans to those in need. It has truly allowed me to learn things I would never have been able to do within a traditional classroom, so I am very grateful for the experience!
Jasmine Ying, grade 12, Grandview High School
Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine
I’ve always been very interested in journalism and editing pathways, however, it was hard to see myself majoring in journalism without seeing what the field was like first. So, I signed up for this program in order to see if this would be something I would enjoy studying in college.
One experience that was super meaningful to me was having my first article professionally edited. Normally, in my English classes, I’m the person who gets asked to edit other people's papers. Because of this, I never really get that much insight on my writing and because I get pretty good grades on my essays, I never really found it necessary to ask the teacher for their thoughts and edits. When I first got my writing edited in this internship I found it to be a great experience for me because I finally had something that I could work on and learn from. Journalism writing is very different from writing an essay for AP Lang so I had a lot to learn.
Now that I’m almost done with my internship, I can safely say that I have learned about all the aspects of being a journalist. I know how to efficiently report on topics and how to leave out necessary information (one thing that I’ve always struggled with). While I’m nowhere near a master at writing reports and journalistic articles, I can definitely use the skills I’ve learned this summer in all of my writing, but specifically my college application essay. While normally a 650 word essay would be hard for me to write because I tend to add a lot of information and details, I found that it has been easier to write rough drafts, because I’m a more efficient writer and can cut out the unnecessary details in my writing more proficiently.
Posted 9/25/23.
