The Courage to Succeed program helps students learn skills that will help them earn a college degree, work in their chosen field, and live a productive, independent, and happy life. During the academic year, students work towards their Associates Degrees by attending courses at a local community college for part of the week, on other days, students work with their social coaches and peer group on study skills, experiential social skills activities, and self-advocacy. This summer Courage to Succeed students participated in internships and jobs in the Greater Richmond Area. The summer provides the perfect opportunity for C2S students to practice the skills they have learned throughout the year and to receive real on-the-job experience. Read below to learn about the internships and jobs first hand from the students.

“In my internship, I worked at the Hilton Garden Inn’s kitchen, washing dishes and doing other janitorial work. This internship healed me be able to work in a large and busy environment, and the staff and employers were very friendly towards me. I would highly recommend this internship for people who like to work in busy environments.”

-Nathan

“This summer, I did not have just any ordinary internship. No, I had my first ever paid job! I got the wonderful chance to be employed at Agriberry farms, a community supported agriculture organization based out of Hanover County. While I was there, I learned how to safely and effectively harvest a multitude of different berries and fruits. It was a very pleasant experience for me (even with the very intense heat) and I would very much recommend this to anyone who is searching for seasonal employment and has a high heat tolerance.  Otherwise those who enjoy a fast paced working environment with friendly competition, this is the job for you.”

-Chris

“The summer internship I had was working with Susan Westfall and the students at the UMFS greenhouse and garden. I learned some skills like to not water all the plants in the greenhouse, only the ones that need to be watered, by telling if they’re light or heavy, use multiple buckets for watering the frame and herbs, not just one, throw away the dead plants, and give lots of water to the plants that are dying. My favorite thing about the internship was watering the plants, and my least favorite thing was using multiple buckets. I was very helpful to the students by making projects to teach them what causes different diseases and how to get rid of them. I think this internship will help me in the future because I gained experience working independently, it will help me with future internships/jobs because most jobs require independent work, and I learned that I could successfully do a job that wasn’t my first choice.”

-Reed

Check back next week to learn about the jobs and internships of four more Courage to Succeed students.