Nila wasn’t sure if Rêve Academy was worth her time.
“My teacher Brianne asked me if I wanted to sign up for the class and I said, ‘Uh, put me on the maybe list.’ I didn’t really know if I wanted to do it.
Then I went into class the day that Rêve Academy’s executive director visited. And Brianne came to get me—again!—and said, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to sign up?’ I was like, ‘OK, just so you can leave me alone, I’m going to do it.’
The class was fun. I got to work with my friends so I wasn’t really nervous, because usually I get nervous when I’m around new people. I was used to everybody so it was easy.”
I am…
// 18
// Responsible, creative, caring
// A student at Metro Heights Academy
I dream of…
// Becoming a fashion designer
Selling apparel at the Social Justice Arts Festival and leading her team as a senior intern.
She embodied the value of Authenticity.
“When I was invited to become an intern…I’m gonna be blunt, I was probably being lazy and just didn’t want to do it. It would be my first job ever, and I didn’t know what I was coming into. I didn’t know what InDesign or Photoshop or all this stuff was. I was thinking I would have a fun summer, chill at home, maybe sleep in. But my teacher was like, ‘No, you’re gonna do it.’ She kind of pushed me to go for it.
Even after working here for summer and fall, I thought I wasn’t ready when I was asked to become a senior intern in spring. But of course, you guys boosted me up, you trusted me with it. So I thought, ‘OK, I’ll try it out.’”
Nila and Sujoud packing up Rêve Academy Retail products to be shipped.
She accepted the challenge of leading, despite her nervousness.
“During senior intern training, I did learn a new word, which was empathic leadership. And that’s basically helping out your team with whatever they need. Slowly but surely, that has come out. I’m still working on my nervousness, like when my team members are all looking at me, waiting for what’s next.
Planning the activities is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I don’t know why, but it is. You think you have enough work planned for a whole week, but they learn fast!
Someday, I want to own my own boutique or be a stylist or something along those lines. I want to be my own boss and lead my team to success. Learning how to lead a team here will help me do that.”
See the difference that Rêve Academy makes.
Nila 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 her work each week, while she 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!