Sanjiv Yajnik, President – Financial Services, Capital One, and NAF Board Treasurer, Addresses NAF Students, Educators, and Business Community on the Importance of Internships
May 09, 2016 (Plano, TX) – NAF and corporate partner Capital One recently hosted a Future Ready Partnership Celebration event to kick off the internship season for the North Texas community. Sanjiv Yajnik, President – Financial Services, Capital One and NAF Board Treasurer, addressed NAF students, educators, and the business community as he highlighted the achievements of the North Texas NAF community and spoke about the importance of paid internships. Mr. Yajnik expressed the benefits in terms of the student experience, as well as for the U.S. economy and giving back to our communities. The event was held at the Garage in Plano, Texas, and also provided ample time for networking and connection.
High schools in Texas were well represented with NAF academy students from Emmett J. Conrad, Justin F. Kimball, W.T. White, Hillcrest, and Woodrow Wilson, all in attendance. These future leaders participated in a panel and shared their internship experience with industry leaders including Capital One, Verizon, Think Tech Labs, HP, and Remedy. Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa spoke about the impact of NAF on academy success and student achievement. Business partners from top companies such as Capital One, HPE, Microsoft, IBM, JPMC, TI, Wells Fargo, Gaylord, Tenet and more were on hand to converse with students and discuss internship opportunities.
NAF Academy of Engineering high school senior at W.T. White, Christina Moore, said, “Thanks to the help of NAF’s Academy of Engineering, I will be interning at AT&T this summer and going to UTSA to study Biomedical Engineering and work with artificial organs.”
Bill Taylor, Associate Vice President, Network Engagement and Growth at NAF, said, “On behalf of all of us at NAF, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Capital One, Mr. Yajnik, Superintendent Hinojosa, academy leaders, business partners, and our students for making this kickoff to the internship season a tremendous success. The amount of talent, opportunity, and dedication in this space is astounding and sets the stage for all of the important work-based learning opportunities to come. Here’s to celebrating our partnership and continued success.”
“Capital One shares NAF’s philosophy that students need a clear link between what they’re learning in class and the real jobs that exist for them when they graduate,” said Mr. Yajnik. “The continued growth and prosperity of our region depends largely on an educated, skilled and inspired workforce. Capital One’s support of NAF’s internship program is one of the ways we help to mentor and retain the very best talent in the Dallas area.”
Capital One has partnered with NAF since 2009 to improve work-based learning experiences and outcomes for students. In partnering with Capital One, NAF is improving college and career prospects for students by focusing on specific geographies where NAF’s program design and high-touch support services, Capital One’s corporate citizenship and resources, and local district and community commitment align. This results in exemplary academies leading the way for high quality work-based learning and student success. One compelling example of this is Capital One providing more than 25 internships to NAF students over the last few years in the Dallas area. Due to the unwavering support of Capital One and the network, NAF student internship numbers have doubled just in the last year alone.
###
About NAF: NAF works with high need communities to transform the high school experience through an educational design that includes industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals, culminating in a paid internship. NAF academies fit within and enhance school systems, allowing NAF to become an integral part of a plan for higher achievement at a low cost. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2015-16 school year nearly 89,000 students attended 716 NAF academies across 36 states, including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2015, NAF academies reported 98% of seniors graduated with 92% of graduates with post-secondary intentions. For more information, please visit: https://naf.org/