Tegan Bernard earns paid internship with health care provider
Tegan Bernard, a senior at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, was selected to participate in a paid internship experience with health care provider Optum.
Bernard had to work on a project for the company through a remote internship experience. The students were taught about the many aspects of the health care business, and were mentored through the process.
“It was an amazing experience and helped me secure a marketing internship with DVUSD this year in the Career and Technical Education field,” Bernard shared in a news release.
National Academy Foundation, or NAF, is a national network of education, business and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career and future ready through STEM-infused, industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships.
NAF Future Ready Labs, a collaboration between NAF, business partners, and academy and district representatives to offer students an internship experience, announced Bernard’s achievement.
“The goal is three-fold: to help students network within the community to bolster their career efforts, to provide a non-traditional way for businesses to recruit and retain local talent, and to expose students to career options that lead to high-paying jobs” Debbie Moore, the NAF Academy of Entrepreneurship at Mountain Ridge lead teacher, stated.
Through a multi-week experience during the NAF program, student interns will complete a project of value for business sponsors in a collaborative team-based environment, participate in skill-building workshops, and connect with professionals who serve as mentors.
NAF partnered with Capital One, KPMG, Optum, Verizon, Oath, Mastercard, and Worldwide Technology to bring Future Ready Labs to students across the country.
The Academy of Entrepreneurship at Mountain Ridge is a part of NAF. The Glendale students have opened 13 businesses while still in high school.