This summer marked the second successful year of internships for Rainier Scholars in companies, businesses and non-profit across the Puget Sound region. Our internship component continues to grow, offering an increasing number of interesting and challenging ways for our high school students to engage in valuable real world learning during their summer vacations. A host of new companies and organizations partnered with us this summer including Black, Lowe and Graham, Microsoft, Aegis Living, Seattle Northwest Securities and many others. We are now partnered with twelve different organizations ranging from law firms and brokerage firms, to retirement communities and medical clinics, to major hospitals and local broadcast networks.

   Once again Rainier Scholars received rave reviews from their mentors, and exhibited professionalism, discipline, and an eagerness to learn. Rainier Scholar Amy Leong, a senior at Edmonds-Woodway HS, spent her summer as an intern in the marketing department at Aegis Living, an award winning local company in the senior living industry. While at Aegis, Amy independently led several marketing projects. According to her mentor Chris DiNardo, Database Marketing Manager, “Amy takes initiative. Rather than sitting around waiting to be given something new (to do), she lets everyone know that she has completed her given task and talks to other people in the department to see if she can help out.” DiNardo also reflected that Amy’s work is valued “because she is taking on projects that are time-consuming, and people-oriented while learning about the operations of our communities.” It was also noted on the RS evaluation, “Amy has the right attitude and personality for marketing, so she has impressed (upon) several people that having a Rainier Scholar intern is worth the time invested in training.”

   Amy walked away from her summer of hard work feeling she learned a lot and played an important role at Aegis. “I feel like I am actually contributing to the marketing department because I am doing a project that is going to make an impact on the company,” she reflected.

Tiesa McElroy, a Rainier Scholar and senior at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, spent her summer working at Seattle Northwest Securities, a Seattle stock brokerage firm that boasts the largest trading desk in the Northwest.

   Tiesa was mentored by , Marketing and Administrative Coordinator, who couldn’t say enough great things about her job performance. “People kept mistaking Tiesa for a new employee! And then I would tell them that she is the new intern and they assumed I meant college intern. They were truly blown away when I explained that Tiesa is our high school intern.” She went on to describe Tiesa as mature and poised, a fast w orker, and a quick learner.

   Rainier Scholars extends sincere gratitude to all our internship sites – Aegis Living, Seattle Northwest Securities, Swedish Hospital and Medical Center, League of Education Voters, King County Television, KL & Gates, Davis Wright Tremaine, Black Lowe and Graham, Karr Tuttle Campbell, Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Clinic, Microsoft Finance Department and Washington State Hospital Association.

   Congratulations to Tiesa and Amy, and all of the other Rainier Scholars who devoted their summers to wowing the local business community, building their resumes, and learning skills for their future careers.

Click here for more information on the Rainier Scholars Internship program.