Each year, juniors from the Diamond Bar High School Brahma Tech Academy are required to work as an intern over the summer to graduate from the program. Luckily for those students that struggled finding an internship opportunity, the senior class shared advice and guidance to Brahma Tech juniors through DBHS’s second annual internship fair.
The fair was held after school in the Golden Horseshoe on Feb. 4 and 5. The purpose of the event was to encourage interaction between the different classes so that the underclassmen could gain experience from the graduating class’ displays and presentations. It was also a way for the juniors to explore careers in the various fields that the seniors worked in, as part of an internship class juniors are required to take and attend several times after school. The event was mandatory for seniors to receive credit on their internships as well.
“[We hope the event] inspires them to prepare and start thinking about what they want to do with their career,” Brahma Tech student president Amy Zhu said in regards to the juniors at the event.
Each senior created a tri-fold display and prepared a presentation with bits of information regarding their respective internships. The information shared included how they prepared for the internship, what they learned during their time there, and what they did and accomplished as interns.
In total, 42 seniors shared their internship experiences over the two days. Many of the students interned at programs with applications and an extensive admittance process while others worked at companies around the local area, which didn’t require any applications. Each provided his or her own take on the professional atmosphere they worked in as well as the qualities needed to intern at each program.
“Definitely make your resume very strong. Try to write a great essay because that’s actually something people look at. And definitely show an interest in the internship you’re going to,” senior Joshua Christian-Miller said. Christian was a former intern at the USC Keck School of Medicine and conducted research on biomedical proteins in order to work toward a cheaper and safer alternative to chemotherapy.
Ray Dui, another intern at USC, researched upon the power consumption of platinum in electronics. He encourages future interns and applicants to never stop asking questions.
“If they feel like their bothering their mentor, they probably are, but that’s how you do it. That’s the best way,” Dui said.
As for the event itself, Zhu and Alina Gallardo, head of the Brahma Tech program at DBHS, plan on spreading the event more to underclassmen in the future instead of inviting solely on juniors. They hope to provide students with earlier insight about what’s to come regarding internships and college.
“Brahma Tech is always evolving. Every year, we expand, we enhance, we improve. It’s really meant to help the freshmen and sophomores to see what’s required to get an internship,” Gallardo said.