At Oxford High School, Community and Workforce Development Director Duncan Gray has set up internship opportunities for high school students. Gray works with a variety of local businesses to ensure diverse opportunities for students. Becoming an intern at a young age can give students the chance to get first-hand experience of potential future careers.
“High school students are able to see what a career looks like and not just study it,” Gray said. “We often think we know what it means to go into health sciences, but we don’t really know all of the pathways in the field. It allows students to really ex-
plore before going on to a post-secondary education.”
This internship program collaborates with local Oxford businesses such as Thacker Mountain Radio, the USDA laboratory, the City of Oxford Municipal Court, and many more.
“We have numerous internships, but the majority of our placements are in the sciences,” Gray said. “But we also have internships in education, hospitality, architecture, software programming, and many others. We have a very diverse sector of business and industry partners.”
Senior Syna Ghandi took interest in the internship program her junior year. Gandhi wants to pursue a career in the medical field, and chose an internship at Oxford Orthopaedic to see what it is like as a physician’s assistant.
“I knew I wanted to be in the medical field but had no interest working in a hospital setting,” Ghandi said. “I had been in physical therapy as a patient, and I wanted to see what it would be like on the flip side. During one of my physical therapy sessions, my therapist told me I should look into being a physician’s assistant. Ultimately, I interviewed for Endurace and Oxford Orthopaedics.”
Gandhi chose to apply for internships in the physical therapy field not only to learn more about that career path, but also contribute to the common good outside of OHS.
“I wanted to serve more people in my community than just the OHS student body, and this internship really allows me to do that,” Ghandi said. “I am also constantly applying what I have learned in pre-requisite classes for PA School such as Sports Medicine and Anatomy and Physiology in real life.”
Senior Kaitlyn McConnell also became a part of the internship program as an opportunity to get first-hand experience in the education field. McConnell is interning at Della Davidson Elementary, a school that teaches both second and third grade in the Oxford School District.
“I want to one day be an elementary teacher, deciding to apply to intern at one of the best elementary schools in the state was an easy choice,” McConnell said. “I knew it would be a great experience and a chance for me to see how elementary schools operate post-pandemic.”
An intern’s schedule varies depending on which internship they have, as does what the internship entails. McConnell goes to Della Davidson Elementary to observe the teachers, assist them, and work with students. Gandhi’s internship gives her flexibility to work in many different areas of the Oxford Orthopaedic office.
“I do a little bit of everything at Oxford Orthopaedic,” Gandhi said. “I started with learning how to take x-rays, and then moved to the hall to assist Dr. Burns with patients. There is a lot of mobility that comes with this internship, so sometimes I even help with paperwork for other doctors.”
Not only is this program a great way for students to get up-close and first-hand experience in various careers, it can help them confirm whether they want to pursue a certain career or not.
“This biggest thing this program has offered me is confirmation that the career path I am pursuing is right for me,” McConnell said. “I am so lucky to have had an internship opportunity that would give me experience for future jobs. I have learned effective ways to teach and manage a classroom which I can carry into my career. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this program so far.”
This internship program began in the spring semester of 2023. While initially small, the program was extremely beneficial to students.
“I piloted the program with Baptist Hospital and a few other businesses in town,” Gray said. “It was very successful, and we were able to see an immediate beneficial impact on both the businesses and students. It helped prepare students to enter
the workforce or for post-secondary education. Last year we brought on more partners covering all sectors. It’s been a huge success.”
In order to become an intern at one of the companies that works with OHS, students must sign up for and complete an inter-
view that occurs in May. Over the following summer, each company that the student interviewed for will contact them con-
firming whether or not they got the internship. The interview process can be nerve-racking, but Gray believes that practice makes perfect.
“The best advice I can give is to sit with someone and practice interviews, whether it’s a career coach, counselor, friend, whoever,” Gray said. “It’s not easy the first time. Every adult in the school has gone through an interview before and can offer good advice. It takes preparation, and it’s not something a student can just show up for without preparation and expect to do well.”
This program provides amazing learning experience and valuable opportunities for students to connect with the Oxford community and build relationships.
“My favorite part of my internship is seeing the same few routine patients,” Ghandi said. “Even though I am only at the clinic twice a week, it helps me build a relationship with each patient, similar to how Dr. Anna Burns has over the years.”
McConnell enjoys working side-by-side with teachers and teaching students one-on-one and is grateful for the relationships that has formed.
“I am so thankful for the relationships I have built with the teachers and students,” McConnell said. “That is by far the best thing about my internship. I especially enjoy my time working with students and watching all of the lightbulb moments happen
in their brains when they finally grasp the piece of material they are struggling with.”
While this program is new, Gray hopes to grow the program so that more students have access to internships that can help them prepare for the future.
“I plan to continue to grow the program as much as possible, but to also look at other ways students can gain real world and practical experience,” Gray said. “With technology, I think we have an opportunity to create some remote internships.”
