Something all students will have to face at some point in their lives is the search for a job. Whether or not you know right now what field you might want to go into or you have absolutely no idea what it is that you want your career to be, the school is creating and offering more opportunities for students to discover or pursue future interests and careers. The best ways to learn more about working in the future at the school are internships set up by the school, the summer mentorship week, or pursuing entrepreneurship and creating your own business.

For students that are confident in an area of interest and know they want to explore this field for a future career, internships are the best option. Personal and Academic Counselor Calvin Kohler came to the school in the 2024-2025 school year, and brought with him a want for students at the school to get more involved with internships, as he had set up many for students at past jobs. In the past he has set up students interested in Art with the St. Louis Art Museum, and students interested in the environment with Forest Park Forever. Internships allow students to get a unique deep dive into whatever field they are interested in. There is no better alternative to learning about a field then having real experience working in it. Kohler also believes that the biggest benefit internships provide is networking. Creating and maintaining relationships in your field of interests is important, as down the road it will help you get a job in your field. According to the business insider, having connections with a company increases your chance at receiving a job offer by roughly five percent. Internships give you specific experience and relationships that could set students up for future success in a field that they are confident they want to pursue.

According to the K-12 Dive, about 75% of high school graduates said that they were moderately, slightly, or not at all prepared to make decisions surrounding college or future career. With many students likely not knowing what kind of career path they want to pursue, the Summer Mentorship Week with Business and Entrepreneurship Teacher Evan Snively could help guide students in the right direction. The program allows students a week to experience and learn about a local business, varying in size and industry, ask questions, and learn about different fields and business models. Although the experience is not as long or as specific as an internship, the program provides students with more clarity on questions they have about each of these industries or ways of doing things.

There is no substitute for the experience that students will get running their own business. According to Snively, learning about all of the things that go into creating and running your own business, such as getting permits, building relationships, getting customers, and creating a business model give students a leg up in the future, joining the business world already knowing what it will take for a successful business to run.

With all of the newly introduced resources that the school has brought within the last two to three school years, there is no better time for students to pursue these opportunities. Finding ways to learn more about your interests as well as strenghts and weaknessses is an important part of beginning your profesional career, and the sooner you can start, the better off you will be.