Learning on the Job

Haldane seniors required to complete internships

In their final weeks of high school, Haldane seniors are required to participate in ASPIRE, aka A Senior Program for Internships, Research and Enrichment.

The students choose an organization to intern with and spend 20 hours each week working alongside their supervisor, an experience that culminates in a presentation to their peers. The internships often align with professional goals or personal interests. This year, Vanja Booth, Elaine Llewellyn and Emil Schweizer each pursued distinct paths.

Booth interned with Mary-Clancey Pace at Hen’s Tooth Productions, a broadcasting and media production company in New York City. In addition to “office days,” Booth attended three shoots — for Meta, Marli jewelry with model Taylor Hill and Port Magazine with actor and playwright Colman Domingo.

Booth says she arrived on set at 8 a.m. to unfold chairs and tables, organize craft services (food and beverages) and assist with lighting, wardrobe and styling. As a production assistant (PA), she ventured out on Starbucks runs, untangled cords and says she may have set a record by assembling a folding table in less than 10 seconds.

“Basically, I would do whatever they wanted me to do — focusing on the small details that create a nice atmosphere,” she says.

Booth, who this fall will study business and entertainment at American University in Washington, D.C., says she looked for an internship that would provide her with PA experience. She saw it as an opportunity to develop a better understanding of the profession’s demands.

“As a PA, you can’t stick to yourself,” Booth says. “The biggest thing I learned was how to be present and available, how to be comfortable and willing to work with anyone.” She has continued working with Hen’s Tooth over the summer.

Elaine Llewellyn interned at The Foundry Montessori, a Cold Spring preschool owned by Karen Kapoor. Llewellyn has been employed as an aftercare provider at the school for the past two years, so a transition to the classroom was natural. The assignment was hands-on — helping children with their work, taking them on walks and assisting them with their shoes and bags. She has experience in theater and helped direct the students’ end-of-year play, The Gigantic Turnip.

Like Booth, Llewellyn’s internship aligned with her career path. Working at the school has inspired her to attain Montessori certification in addition to the theater and education degree she will pursue at Colby College in Maine.

Llewellyn says she was pleasantly surprised by the children’s independence. “A lot of the time the teachers can just step back,” she says. “The children are very self-confident.”

She noted how connected the school was to local businesses, from dentists to pizza restaurants. “When we walk them up Main Street, they know so many of the people we pass,” she says.

Emil Schweizer interned at Fahnestock State Park, where he spent most of his time preparing the grounds for opening day on June 17. Daily maintenance included weed whacking, picking up trash on the beaches and tidying up campsites and bathrooms. Although he says he doesn’t plan to work in parks and recreation, the skills may prove handy. Schweizer is taking a gap year after graduation at Fosen Folkehøgskole, a “folk school” in Norway focused on self-sufficiency and organic living.

“What I did at Fahnestock is going to translate to what I’ll be experiencing in Norway,” he says. “Maybe not weed whacking, but getting comfortable outside, using your hands in the dirt, touching things you don’t want to touch, being accustomed to the outdoors and doing labor.”

Schweizer says he appreciated the opportunity to connect with his supervisor, a fellow intern from Croton-Harmon High School and employees not much older than himself. “They’re focused on what they’re doing when they’re working,” he says. “But during lunch or while riding in the truck together, we had great conversations, and they had a great sense of humor.”

All three graduates say they found the experience worthwhile. “It’s so beneficial for seniors, especially for people who maybe haven’t worked many hours at a job,” says Schweizer. “It helped me get accustomed to the working environment.”