Summer Internships
Over the summer, our Upper School students typically stay busy with summer workouts, jobs and summer reading – but this past summer, some of our students were busy with amazing programs and internships! Read more to learn about what Cassidy, Terry, Lena and Kayla were up to this past summer.
National Student Leadership Conference
Over the summer, Cassidy Clark attended a National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). NSLC has a variety of programs at many different colleges and universities around the United States. Cassidy chose to go to the Intelligence and National Security program at Georgetown University. “Not only did I get to learn about Intelligence and National Security, but we also had many leadership sessions, which helped me learn more about myself and how I can be a better leader,” Cassidy said. They had two lecture series over National Security and Cyber Security and also heard from guest speakers from Homeland Security, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and Major General Joseph Richard Baldwin from the US Army National Guard. During the program, Cassidy visited the FBI, DIA, Arlington National Cemetery, Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian, and the Washington Monument. Cassidy’s group also did an activity specific to the program they attended, which were National Security Councils (or sims, for simulations). They participated in one each day and were split into groups to form their own National Security Council’s with a team advisor as their President. “Each person was given a specific role. I was given the Attorney General from the Department of Justice. Each group was then given a problem that we had to try and solve by the time the program was over,” Cassidy said.
“While at the program, I got to meet some really amazing people that I became close friends with. Overall, this was a really great experience that I am so thankful I got to have. I not only got to learn more about Intelligence and National Security, but I also got to grow in my leadership and meet some amazing people from all over the US!”
– Cassidy Clark ’25
HOBY and City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Internship
Terry Kim had a busy summer! Terry participated in the HOBY program. HOBY is a youth leadership organization that hosts leadership seminars across the country in the summer for high school sophomores. Their seminars bring students together across different backgrounds, cultures, and communities. They help students discover a newfound sense of awareness, confidence, connection, and purpose. “I learned a lot about how to have great communication skills and leadership in my own community. I got to spend time with so many great people who were just as passionate as I was in different aspects of their own lives. It was a very impactful program and I am grateful have participated in it,” Terry said. But that’s not it! Terry served on the Keep Tyler Beautiful Youth Advisory Committee last year and was offered a summer internship by the community coordinator for the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation department. He was responsible for fundraising for city events, training new interns, and developing sponsorship packages for KTYB.
“Overall, it was a great learning experience for me! I learned how busy and hectic our city is behind the scenes!”
– Terry Kim ’25
Forensic Science Program at Columbia
Lena traveled to New York City to stay on Columbia University’s campus to learn about Forensic science! She got to investigate fake crime scenes and perform a finger print analysis. She quickly learned how different Forensics is in real life than what’s depicted on TV (haha!). “It’s actually a lot slower in person funnily enough,” Lena said. Lena’s favorite day of the program during her experience was investigating the fake crime scene because “it was like solving a puzzle and acting like a detective with my friends.”
“The most interesting thing about my experience was having to work with people all over the world to try and accomplish the same goal. It was really enlightening, and taught me a lot about leadership.”
– Lena Squyres ’26
Christus STARS Program
Kayla Powell had the opportunity to participate in the STARS Program, a job shadowing internship, at Christus Trinity Mother Francis in Tyler. Throughout the month of July, she was able to shadow doctors and nurses during their everyday responsibilities at the hospital. She specifically shadowed in orthopedics, the NICU, and pediatric care. “I was able to sit in on multiple surgeries and interact with patients during check ups and post operational care. I learned so much about the ins and outs of the medical field and hospital community, but most importantly I learned about the true importance of compassion, communication, and commitment that nurses, doctors, and surgeons extend to their patients,” Powell said. The program also taught Kayla important life skills such as; time management, communication skills, and calmness in high pressure situations.
“During the internship at Christus Health, the Lord revealed to me that nursing, specifically neonatal and pediatrics, is my passion. I plan to receive a degree in nursing, specializing in neonatal and pediatric care. I would also love to one day pursue missions nursing! ”
– Kayla Powell ’24
