Mainebiz Special Editions

T here is more than one path to entering a particular career. Many people think the only way into a specific pro- fession is through job opportuni- ties. However, a path that is often overlooked is internships. Internships provide insight into a business, an opportunity to make connections, a chance to learn about yourself, and so much more. So let's unravel all the im- mense benefits of internships. First, I'm a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School. This year, I took an Extended Learning Op- portunities class. ELOs are hands- on courses that allow students to focus on individual aspirations and skills and connect to the com- munity in a classroom setting. My goal for the class was to gain an internship for this cur- rent school semester. With the help of the ELO coordinator at my school, Lauren Tarantino, I am currently interning at Mainebiz and the Portland Sea Dogs to gain a better understanding of the different parts of the com- munications field. While at Mainebiz, I have been learning it's about the vari- ous positions within its business that are vital for the production of the publication. I've worked most closely with Alison Nason, the marketing and operations director and Andrea Tetzlaff, the publisher. At the Sea Dogs, I spend my time with Chris Cameron, the manager of communications and fan experience. While I'm there, I learn about how they publicize during the off-season and how they prepare for the upcoming season overall. At both businesses, I have gained so much information that I never would have been able to learn in a classroom environ- ment. I have worked hands-on with so many interesting and knowledgeable people, gaining real insight into the different aspects of communication. Because of my time at the Sea Dogs, I now know how to make a website and have a better under- standing of how they deliver their radio broadcast to the public. Because of Mainebiz, I now understand the importance of networking and how to write a cohesive article. Beyond these industry-specific skills, I am de- veloping soft skills like critical thinking, time management and active listening. Engineering internship Like me, Marta Leary-Forrey is a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School. She pursued an intern- ship at Kelson Marine, where she is working alongside Sam Rickerich, who is a Metocean Engineer. Kelson Marine is an environmental engineering firm in Portland. Their overall goal is to make the ocean a more eco- friendly body through advance- ments in engineering. While at Kelson Marine, Marta spends her time reading engi- neering reports and sitting in on meetings. She worked with a program called QGSI, which is a mapping software that is used to make online maps easier to compre- hend and can be used for sci- entific research. Through these experiences, she has learned so much about the environmental engineering world, and her in- P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R INTERN The A high school junior tackles the business world through internships B Y B O D E N T E R R Y C o n s t r u c t i o n / T r a d e s W O R K F O R M E / S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 8 Boden Terry, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, held internships at Mainebiz and the Portland Sea Dogs. She's pictured at Hadlock Field with Chris Cameron of the Sea Dogs.

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