Summer internships give high school students head start

Eric Leake

Friday, Feb. 25, 2005 | 3:57 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

February 26 - 27, 2005

Cecilia James works throughout the Cutler LLC insurance office, helping with insurance policies, contributing to projects. But unlike most people who do this type of work, James is just 17 years old.

She was given a part-time job at the office after working there as a Summer Business Institute intern. James used the program to get a jump-start into the real world.

"I had to wake up really early, and I'm not a morning person at all," she said. "But it's definitely worth it."

The county's Summer Business Institute program pairs high school students with local businesses for two-month paid summer internships. The deadline to apply for this year's program is Friday.

Interns work eight hours a day, four days a week, and spend their Fridays in workshops preparing for college. They regularly participate in community service.

"The program is designed to be a holistic approach to acquaint the students with all the different venues and make a more solid individual," Debbie Conway, program director, said.

Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates helped create the program with a federal grant. In 11 years the program has grown from eight participating businesses to more than 100 last year, Conway said.

The program has many success stories, she said, including that of one student who went from a homeless shelter to a college in Connecticut.

Another student, Mariana Kihuen, interned for a local television station and law firm. She received a full scholarship to Georgetown University and is preparing for law school.

"Through my exposure to the real world, I matured and became more than just a book-smart student," Kihuen wrote in an e-mail from Spain where she is studying abroad.

Conway said such success is at the heart of the program. "We put quite a lot of time and effort into these students, in hopes that they will go further than others have," Conway said.

She credited the role of mentors as essential. "That type of involvement in a young person's life really helps to shape and mold them," she said.

Lloyd Cutler, owner of Cutler LLC, talks with the knowledgeable enthusiasm of somebody who genuinely enjoys working with emerging professionals.

"It's just a privilege to be around them because they're not going to let anybody stop them," Cutler said. "I let them get in way over their heads."

He has had numerous Summer Business Institute interns in his office and said they are exceptional employees. James is the office's latest intern and was invited to continue working for the business for as long as she wants.

Cutler said he lets James work, explore her creativity and develop, but also allows her be a teenager. "I don't want to interrupt this wonderful period in her life," he said.

James will graduate this year from Rancho High School Medical Academy. She said she plans to be an optometrist and is deciding whether to attend UNLV or head off to Virginia or Tennessee for her college education.

She said her work has taught her a lot about small businesses.

The Summer Business Institute is open to county students with a "B" average or better. Candidates may be considered based upon grade point average, volunteerism, and financial need.

Applications are due by Friday and are available at the Clark County Government Center. For more information, call Clark County Business Development at 455-4432.