Over the summer, PA students took advantage of their free time by participating in internships and programs to develop their academic abilities, explore potential career options, and learn new skills to prepare for their future.

Sophomore Christina Delos-Reyes interned for Norfolk Academy’s program “Breakthrough,” which helped younger students prepare for their upcoming school year.  Delos-Reyes was tasked with overseeing all students in grades 7-9, taking attendance, organizing groups, and serving as a positive role model, which allowed her to gain important leadership and organizational experience.  

Tara Naemi-Sanatdoust participated in a week-long program called the Junior Commonwealth Attorneys Program (JCAP), which gave students the opportunity to explore various aspects of law. The students traveled to Washington, D.C., where they met two of Virginia’s Supreme Court Justices, a SWAT team, and learned about the fundamentals of law and what it takes to be a lawyer. 

“You need connections with other lawyers to actually progress, or you’re never going to get anywhere,” Naemi-Sanatdoust explained, adding that she learned how networking is a crucial part of being a lawyer.

At the Virginia Zoo, sophomore Gianna Riley was a Teen Supervisor and taught the new members about working at the zoo. She said she enjoyed meeting the new members and was able to gain leadership and communication skills by doing so.

These internship programs allowed Delos-Reyes and Naemi-Sanatdoust to broaden their career interests and gain experience in their potential fields of study. Delos-Reyes commented that she aspires to be a pediatrician, so being able to work with kids taught her new skills that she will need in the future. She also said that the internship will be helpful for applications when it comes time to apply to college.  Similarly, Naemi-Sanatdoust said she plans on going to law school. Through JCAP, she visited the campuses of William and Mary and Richmond Law to learn more about specific careers related to law that she may be interested in. 

Naemi-Sanatdoust and Delos-Reyes stated that the application processes for their programs were not extremely difficult.  Instead of grades, Naemi-Sanatdoust shared, “they’re more concerned about your passion for law.” JCAP required her to write a short essay and participate in a 5-minute interview over Zoom.  Delos-Reyes was tasked with recording a short video to introduce herself and explain why she wanted to participate in Breakthrough. In addition, she wrote about how she would be a leader who would help the younger students to submit to the program.

“Education is something that can’t be taken away from you,” Delos-Reyes said.  “It promotes the opportunities you can have in your life and is a tool for success.”