Aaliyah hoped to improve her digital skills.
“Before my internship, I didn’t use computers for much besides typing. I did take a class at school to learn how to make digital blueprints, but that’s about it. Now I’m a lot more comfortable with the Adobe programs.
When I was first introduced to Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, I was confused. I didn’t know any of the tools and so I tried to watch tutorials, but they went pretty fast. So I had to learn it on my own, with help from my senior intern Anthony and everyone else on the team. It was obvious that I didn’t know anything, while everyone else had some kind of experience with it. But now people come to me for help, and I don’t have to ask for help as much.”
I am…
// 16
// Curious, passionate, motivated
// A student at Patrick Henry High School
I dream of…
// Becoming a sales and promotions manager
Collaborating to come up with new business ideas.
She embodied the value of Collaboration.
“I like to work by myself and even when I work in groups, I’m kind of the leader. So this experience was different. I liked not being the default leader. I learned how to communicate better with teammates. I learned how to give and take feedback better. And I learned how to interact with people so that it won’t come off as weird. Sometimes when I talk, it sounds negative even though I’m not trying to be negative. People are like, ‘Oh you’re not interested’ or ‘You don’t want to talk to me’, and that’s not true. I’m just a fidgety, nervous person. So I became more aware of my body language.
I’m more open to talking to people I don’t know. In my freshman year, it was terrible. But I have developed new socializing skills so it’s a lot easier for me. I still have room to improve, but now I actually feel comfortable approaching someone and starting a conversation.”
Aaliyah and teammate Kashawnna work on designs for their client.
She built confidence for her next career move.
“My favorite part of the summer was Revival. It was really fun coming up with my own idea and seeing it come to life. Having my idea tie for the most innovative award, it was like…wow. The feedback we got on our ideas was also really cool.
I’ve made new friends here, I’ve gained experience working. This was my first job, and now I feel like I have more of a chance getting the kind of job I want in the future.”
See the difference that Rêve Academy makes.
Aaliyah gained both technical and professional skills in her internship—and she didn’t have to pay a cent. In fact, we paid her a fair wage for his work each week, while she learned:
Professional skills
// Empathy
// Authenticity
// Collaboration
// Achievement
// Ingenuity
// Agility
Technical skills
// Illustrator
// Photoshop
// Project management
// Agile development
Rêve Academy’s student interns of summer 2018.
Help students along their path.
If you have a heart for students, we have a place for you.
Become a digital volunteer and help our interns as they work on real-world projects. Or show our kids what an ordinary day looks like for a working professional. There are lots of ways to get involved, so don’t be shy—we can’t wait to meet you!