“I grew up obviously a sports fan and a Vikings fan, but mainly I’ve been following wrestling. That was something that was on and off in school because wrestling isn’t really the cool thing in school. Kids really pick on other kids for that. But later in life, you learn you just don’t care what people say about stuff like that.
That’s an area where I’ve grown as a person. I just don’t care what people think and that’s the main reason why I’m so energetic. People are like, ‘You’re crazy!’ OK, but you gotta deal with me.”
// 19
// Goofy, energetic, positive
// A student at Metro Heights Academy
// Becoming a pro wrestler or video game designer
In front of and behind the camera while making an original film with his team.
“I’m not gonna lie—when I heard that you get paid, I was like, ‘OK I gotta try this.’ But when I actually started going through the program, I realized this is way more than just getting paid. I actually learned life lessons from here.
I’m a people person but I didn’t come in here with the full knowledge of how to talk to people or how to get help from other people. Now that’s something I look towards when I’m stuck. I need that collaborative part in my work, and I don’t struggle with it anymore.
Just doing the work is what helped me with my collaboration. I was expected to ask for advice or ask if there were places where I could improve. Or I would ask my teammates if they needed help on what they were doing. I tried my best to have my voice heard and not just sit there on the side.”
Anthony conducting a mock interview with Emmanuel.
“I think my role is the person with the energy. It seemed like some days were low and everybody was tired. That’s why I tried to come in raising my voice and pumping everybody up. I’m trying to make it a happy environment and not a sluggish one.
I definitely try to help people break out of their shell. With some of my teammates, I would see them get tense so I would try my best to talk them through it and show them that this is a growing moment. I’m not a shy person, so when other people are shy, I try to encourage them to make sure we’re on the same page.
I just want to have a lasting impact wherever I go. It doesn’t matter if I’m a construction worker, working in video games, if I’m a YouTuber. I want to leave a legacy.”
Anthony gained both technical and professional skills in his internship—and he didn’t have to pay a cent. In fact, we paid him a fair wage for his work each week, while he learned:
// Empathy
// Authenticity
// Collaboration
// Achievement
// Ingenuity
// Agility
// WordPress
// InDesign
// Photoshop
// Project management
// Agile development
Rêve Academy’s student interns of spring 2017.
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!