What it is like to be a summer intern at LEAP

Being a summer intern at LEAP, as a college student is such a fruitful experience! Interns have the opportunity to work closely with a variety of teams from the organization (including, Expanding Horizons, the Teen Center, and the College Success Program) to strengthen their professional skills and gain experience in the nonprofit sector. This summer, Lenny Tejeda – a rising sophomore and Posse Scholar at Denison University in Granville, Ohio – served as the “Career and Outreach Intern” and worked directly alongside the Career Services Team.

As the “Career and Outreach Intern,” Lenny supported work-based learning initiatives for English Language (EL) learners and assisted in building LEAP’s Business Partner Network. Not only this, but Lenny was a facilitator for LEAP’s very first Virtual Summer Work Program! The Virtual Summer Work Program was a six-week program where each student designed an individual work-based learning project, connected with a one-on-one career mentor, and engaged in online career readiness training. 

Lenny’s role as a facilitator involved assisting with student enrollment by sharing the program’s goals and components. Once students were registered, Lenny helped participants achieve the various program objectives. Further, since Lenny is fluent in both English and Spanish, he worked with the EL student cohort and was able to give 1:1 support. To guarantee this group’s success in the creation of their projects, Lenny adapted materials and meeting agendas to both amplify the strengths of English language learners and provide opportunities to further develop their English proficiency.

Overall, serving as an intern at LEAP was worthwhile! He claims that the internship amplified his learning beyond an academic curriculum, as the experience challenged him to grow his professional goals and skills. For instance, Lenny strengthened his business relationships by communicating and collaborating not only with LEAP professionals but also with local people in the community – that being, the students and their respective parents, as well as his students’ career mentors. Additionally, he was able to gain presentation skills by connecting with his audience and focusing on that audience’s needs. Not to mention, his leadership skills were enhanced since he is a first-generation college student supporting an underserved community!