Students of the Cumberland County School system were given a chance to shine today (July 24) and share the progress of their recent summer work experience at the ICON (Innovative Career Opportunities Now) Intern Showcase held on the Fayetteville Technical Community College campus. 

The ICON Summer Internship Program allows Cumberland County high school students 15 and older to apply and interview to work in paid positions for 4-6 weeks. 

This work-based learning program is an educational approach, utilizing the workplace to provide students with the competencies and skills that allow them to connect school experiences to real-life work activities through career exploration, exposure to the real workplace and achievement of work readiness skills.

High school students gathered to show off everything they were able to learn from participating in the program. 

For the 2024 program cycle, 693 students registered for the program from 18 different public high schools in Cumberland County, over 300 students attended the industry-led workshops and a total of 225 students interviewed with 31 different businesses. 

“This summer, we had over 120 interns and 31 participating businesses. I've had the pleasure of working closely with our talented interns, guiding them through their professional journeys and witnessing their growth firsthand. ICON is about nurturing potential and fostering a supportive environment where students can thrive,” said Sara Bandurraga, high school to work coordinator for Cumberland County Schools. “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the businesses, parents and students who have participated in ICON this summer. Your commitment and dedication have truly made this program a success.” 

The program allows students to get much needed work experience in one of three ways: 

WORK-BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS

Based on occupational goals, students can be placed in one or more of the following programs:

CAREER SHADOWING (unpaid)

Career Shadowing involves pairing industry partners with students to share aspects related to careers. It is a one-day exposure to the “real world” of work. Student groups tour facilities to get an idea of what individuals do for a living and learn more about a particular industry.

INTERNSHIP (paid or unpaid)

Internships are short-term employment opportunities that are ideally related to a student’s pathway. Students use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, to create a network of contacts and to gain valuable work experience.

For interns like 17- year old Kaylah Kaha, who interned with local business Black’s Tire and Auto Service and who just completed her second year with the program, the program allowed her to get to work doing something she was already passionate about. 

“I grew up a little bit around the automotive field, and I'm a very hands-on person, and Black’s Tire and Auto Service being a general service, you're in the shop all day. It's very hands-on,” shared Kaha. “ And last year when I did it, all the businesses were more so office jobs, and this was one of the only hands-on jobs last year. So I chose this because I already kind of knew what I was doing.” 

This internship led to a job offer from Black's Tire and Auto which Kaha said she plans to accept during her senior year of high school. 

“They gave me employment papers last year, and as I came in this year, we’re going to work out something where it will work with my schooling schedule. They want me there and I want to be there because I already know what I’m doing,” shared Kaha. 

For other interns like Dominick Copeland, who interned with the Chemours Wildlife Team, the internship gave him the opportunity to try new things and see different areas of potential career interest. 

“My mentor gave me some job shadowing and let me see all the different fields through the company.  And the environmental [portion] was very interesting, and definitely something I'll look into. But one of the jobs that I shadowed was IT and that was really cool to see because I've always been interested in technology,” said Copeland. “Being able to see it right in front of me, that really changed my perspective and made it seem like something I was a lot more interested in.” 

The ICON Summer Internship program is always looking for area businesses to get involved whether by attending a Pathway Fair, being a guest speaker, hosting an industry field trip, hosting an ICON intern and many other options, there is always room for more. You can reach out to Career Development Coordinator at Cumberland County Schools Megan McMillen at  meganmcmillen@ccs.k12.nc.us  to learn more or go online and learn more about the ICON Summer Internship Program here. 

“Whether you are a business, parent or community member, there are numerous ways to get involved. Let's continue to collaborate and build upon the success of this internship program,” concluded Bandurraga.