Most students would agree that one thing that adds a lot of stress to a teen’s life  is the expectation of young adults to know what career they want to pursue. This is a hard decision for most high schoolers to make, so getting some experience in specific career fields may help them make that important decision.

A student who knows exactly what he or she wants to do after school is a rare case. Students may know which college they want to attend, or the field that they wish to pursue, but what happens when they finally get their “dream job” and find that they hate it?

One of the many classes that Milford High School offers to students to prevent this situation is the Career Internship class. This class allows students to experience what it is like to have a job and have the responsibilities that come with it before being pushed out into the big scary adult world with no experience.

“Experiential learning is really helpful,” said Heather Lutz, Milford’s school-to-work coordinator. Lutz said that being involved in Career Internship will end up helping students save a lot of time and money.

Lutz explained that she really feels for people who graduate college and do not find happiness in the career they have chosen. After spending huge amounts of money, some students have to go back for more schooling.

Students who take this class enroll so that they can make sure that the career choice that they make in the future is the right one for them.

Payton Leo, a junior at Milford High, is currently interning at the Spinal Column. She was originally not even signed up to take the class, but when the class that she was signed up for dropped, she was placed in Internship.

¨Being involved with this has reassured my thoughts that I was to be involved with English when I get older,” Leo explained.  “At my internship site, I have been able to learn the mechanics of the newspaper system and I consider myself very lucky for this opportunity.”

Brooke Basydlo, another junior at Milford is interning with the in school physical therapist. “We learn how to test for injuries and how to rehab them,” Basydlo explained, noting how she thought that the class would be beneficial because this was what she had wanted to do throughout high school.

“I had a set plan of the career I wanted and I wanted to see if it was actually what I thought,” said Basydlo.

However, unlike Leo, Basydlo’s internship showed her that being a physical therapist may not be the best decision for her.  “It showed me I have no idea what I actually want to do and I think I might go in a different direction,” she said.

Career Internship is a great opportunity for both juniors and seniors. Current sophomores who are interested may want to sign up and consider multiple internships.

There are both paid and non-paid internships available, also.  Students can do any internship they want, but factors such as location and hours may prevent a student from some options.

“Learning in a classroom is very different from going out and being able to experience things in real life,” said Lutz, noting Career Internship a great resume builder and an opportunity to master “punctuality, time management, and how to be a team player.”