Starting internships early

Barbara

We've talked in the past how valuable internships can be. This summer I got the chance to meet a super-cool student who got a head start when it comes to internships — in high school.

Jacob Jackson is now a senior in high school here in Sioux Falls, and he was an intern at Wells Fargo this summer. An internship in high school...how awesome is that?

Jacob is in a program through his school called the Academy of Finance . Students in the program take classes throughout their junior and senior years that deal with business and finance. Then, during the summer they apply for paid internships that put their knowledge to use.

Plus, they get college credit! When he's done with the whole program, Jacob will have around 16 credits to take with him to college.

Before Jacob left to head back for his senior year of high school, I got the chance to talk with him about his experience and what he was taking away from his internship and the program.

At first, he told me he wasn't very keen on the idea of participating in the program. His aspirations were leaning more toward the literary world than the financial realm in becoming a writer or novelist. Jacob didn't think that the experience would change his plans, and it may not have, but he definitely gained some perspective on his different options, like one day running his own business.

And his internship offered more perspective. In addition to his daily work, Jacob got see how the business ran from start to finish. He spent time with each group learning what they do and how it affects the business. Particularly, he found himself interested in Marketing and is considering that as a college major.

Another benefit of his work at Wells Fargo: learning about student loans. Before starting work here, Jacob had no idea about how student loans worked. Obviously this isn't a perk of all early internships, but it's helpful nonetheless.

Have any of you readers participated in or heard about similar programs? I'm curious what you learned or how the experience changed or affirmed your future plans.