Emmanuel realized that he wanted more out of his education.
“Before I moved here, I noticed that the standards for education in my hometown were super low. Everyone would say you “graduated” eighth grade or “graduated” high school. But you shouldn’t have that mentality. You pass eighth grade, not graduate it. It’s not the end. I knew if I went to Minnesota I would have a better education and a better life.
I found out about Rêve Academy when I was in a market research class. The executive director came through and said it was a great opportunity, so I did my own research and got excited by the student-run businesses.”
I am…
// 18
// Funny, imaginative, determined
// A student at Edison High School
I dream of…
// Becoming a programmer or video game designer
Emmanuel working with his team and meeting with their client via the web.
He embodied the value of Empathy.
“In client meetings, I realized I was too concerned about showing that I was capable instead of being personally interested in what the client was trying to do. So after I added in that personal interest, it became a lot easier for me. My supervisor tipped me off. He said, ‘You’re into it, but it seems like you’re in and out.’ And I was like, ‘You know what, you’re right. I’m in and out of the conversation because all I’m thinking about is when this meeting is gonna be over.’ What I should be thinking is that this person has a really interesting idea, he has a good grasp on what he wants to do, so I want to help out. I want to do something for them.
Once I added the personal interest, sky’s the limit. I was able to talk about what we could do to help them and us at the same time. And in our discussions as a team, I was adding more to the conversations. I feel like I’m part of the team and proud to be part of it.”
Emmanuel conducting a mock interview with Anthony.
He became aware of his professional strengths and learned how to flex them.
“The most fun was learning more about SEO. That was a stepping stone for me. I learned something incredibly new and even though all I’m doing is sitting in front of a computer, it’s super fun to me. I’ve also grown with web design, especially the backend design stuff. I didn’t know how to do any of that stuff before I came here. I feel like it’s gonna take me somewhere.
At first I was like, ‘I don’t even know how to do this; do you want somebody else on the team?’ But we went through the steps and I did my own research too. And once I did, it was so easy. Something that I thought was an impossible feat became really simple.”
See the difference that Rêve Academy makes.
Emmanuel 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:
Professional skills
// Empathy
// Authenticity
// Collaboration
// Achievement
// Ingenuity
// Agility
Technical skills
// SEO
// WordPress
// Google Analytics
// Project management
// Agile development
Rêve Academy’s student interns of spring 2017.
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!