Jesse wanted to explore his interest in technology.
“I’ve always been interested in learning how things work. After watching a video about how cars and electronics can be hacked from other locations, I’d have to say I’m interested in being a hacker for the higher authorities.
I first learned about Rêve Academy at school. I had done website building one time on my own, trying to figure it out at home. The teacher told me that there was a web design class that Rêve Academy offered in our school for a certain amount of time and I thought it would be a good idea just to try it out and see what happened next.”
I am…
// 16
// Smart, inventive, curious
// A student at Metro Heights Academy
I dream of…
// Becoming a cyber security expert
Posing with his first paycheck and learning about digital marketing at web design agency Rocket55.
He embodied the value of Achievement.
“Using the software programs was stressful at first. They would explain it to me a little bit and I’d say, “Oh I get that part,” and then just try to experiment with it on my own.
When I saw my first 3D printed cookie stamp, I felt excited. But it was kind of disappointing because I thought I did a better job at it, but it wasn’t that great when it came out. I ended up printing 10 or 15 versions. I figured out that I had to make the lines thicker, but that wasn’t really working. Then I found out that the drawing I had was double lined and it was messing up the stamp.
It’s like at my dad’s work when I helped him make blueprints. Blueprints for buildings go through many different versions. You gotta build it and then if you don’t like it, you gotta try again and see if it turns out. It’s a lot of copies later until you get the right one.”
Jesse working on a 3D printing file to create holiday cookie stamps for customers.
He challenged himself to go beyond what was comfortable.
“After Rêve Academy, I’m more okay with talking to a whole group of people. It was a challenge in the beginning, because I’m not talkative around people until I really get to know them. What made the difference was that I actually had to talk to people who I didn’t know at the time to get things done.
One of the hardest parts of the internship for me was budgeting. I asked a lot of questions to my teammates and volunteers, and they explained it to me. So now I’m not afraid to ask questions as much as I was. Because if you don’t know something and you don’t ask, you’re most likely not going to learn how to use it.”
See the difference that Rêve Academy makes.
Jesse 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
// Fusion 360
// MakerBot
// Illustrator
// Project management
// Agile development
Rêve Academy’s student interns of fall 2016.
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!