Some high school graduates doubt their career desires they’ve had all their lives.

High school is the age where preparation for the future is in full gear. Some will go on to college, others will find a different path to take. Not knowing how you will be spending your future can be stressful. At Hershey High School, the opportunity to do an internship is offered. This can give the students a real life example of the career they appoint.

Bonnie Ritchey, HHS internship coordinator, believes internships are very profitable. “Internships look good on a college transcript. A lot of students got placed right into the major they wanted to do in college from presenting the hours doing the internship of their desired career,” she said.

According to a 2014 study Society for Human Resource Management, career development activities, such as these internships, are becoming increasingly important for high school students who want to get into better colleges and find future employment.

About 50 to 60 students each year take advantage of this opportunity at HHS.

Grace Murray, HHS junior, desired to be a physical therapist for a few years. Murray interns with Drayer Physical Therapy. She feels the internship program is important to see what physical therapists perform inside the clinic. “I enjoy the internship tremendously and have learned an incredible amount about the career itself,” she said

Murray believes internships give you an insight into what you are thinking about pursuing after high school. Through this experience, Murray found that she wants to continue in the physical therapy field throughout her future.

The opportunities  to “test-drive” an occupation of your choice throughout high school is endless. According to CNN, “Besides getting your foot in the door with a potential employer and looking good on a college resume, internships have other advantages, such as chances to network with colleagues and an introduction to the field’s culture and etiquette.”

HHS graduate, Shyanne Gaston, interned with the Harrisburg Senators baseball team. Though she figured she didn’t like sports recreation as a major through her internship, she said, “The opportunity to do an internship was extremely beneficial for my later career.”  

Gaston thought she knew exactly what her future goals were for college, but from start to finish of the internship, she realized for many reasons sports were not in her future. Before Gaston went to college and changed her major to something that she is enjoying in her freshman year.

Many students don’t know what they want to major in or how they want to spend their future. Luckily for Gaston, the internship helped her realize what she does and doesn’t like and found something that best fits her.

Not all students realize this in high school and may end up wasting time on a future career that doesn’t interest them. Internships are a stepping stone for your future aspirations, and make reaching your career goals a more simple process.