Durango High School’s Career and Technical Education pathways invite students to boost their resumes while pouring their passion for learning into internships with local businesses and nonprofits. Their age and experience illuminate the power of collaboration across generations, fueling new opportunities and perspectives for students and organizations alike. We dug a little deeper to learn more about the people behind these freshly forged community connections.
Business: San Juan Citizens Alliance
Mentor: Rane Dickerson, Communications & Events Manager
Intern: Andre Craig
What responsibilities of your business did your intern support?
“We tailored Andre’s experience to meet his interests, so he primarily participated in outreach initiatives and helped with financial and administrative duties, including planning, creating, and executing social media content, helping write grants, and working on website updates.”
What unexpected contribution did your intern bring to your business?
“A fresh perspective! Andre gave great feedback. We enjoyed having him as a part of our team and in the office every day. He diligently applied himself to every project and created strong work that we were excited to use.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“My all-time favorite meal to make has to be chicken enchiladas with extra green chile sauce, of course!”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“Skiing, hands down.”
Andre’s responses
What do you plan to do after graduating from DHS?
“Go to college and then into finance or a startup.”
What was the greatest lesson you learned during your internship?
“I learned valuable skills, like WordPress and Adobe Suite.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“My favorite meal to cook is an acai bowl.”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“Clash Royale is my most passionate hobby.”
Business: The Powerhouse
Mentor: Sydnie Golden, Deputy Director
Intern: Jocilen Thompson
What responsibilities of your business did your intern support?
“Jocilen was responsible for creating a marketing plan and campaign for the Colorado Gives Day and Camp Discovery programs. She did an incredible job updating our website, writing a newsletter article, creating social media posts and video content, partnering with other organizations, and several other marketing activities.”
What unexpected contribution did your intern bring to your business?
“Jocilen brought such a fun energy to our office! She wanted to try everything and was eager to learn how The Powerhouse ran, not just about our marketing practices.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“Chicken pot pie.”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“Spending time at Lake Nighthorse with my dog, Stanley. We love to swim, walk, and paddleboard.”
Jocilen’s responses:
What do you plan to do after graduating from DHS?
“I intend to broaden my qualifications by studying graphic design and marketing at the university level.”
What was the greatest lesson you learned during your internship?
“Trial and error are essential to advancing in the marketing world. It’s natural for some strategies to succeed while others may not.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“I love making grilled cheese sandwiches paired with a warm bowl of tomato soup because they offer the perfect blend of comfort and nostalgia.”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“I am deeply passionate about cheerleading and have been dedicated to it for over five years.”
Business: Durango Food Bank
Mentor: Sarah Smith, Executive Director
Intern: Myla Glaser
What business responsibilities did your intern support?
“Our intern was a tremendous help with creating content for all our social media platforms and preparing a Colorado Gives Day marketing strategy. She developed a comprehensive volunteer recruitment campaign and created engaging posts to increase our online presence throughout the year.”
What unexpected contribution did your intern bring to your business?
“There is something about today’s youth and their understanding of technology and social media platforms that I am not sure can be taught. It is very much a part of who they are and how they communicate. As someone who grew up before Facebook was even a thing, it was interesting to see how seamless it was for our intern to almost immediately navigate communication of thoughts and ideas to large groups of followers with such ease.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner, despite it being a multiday (and even occasionally stressful) endeavor. There is something so special about preparing a meal for my loved ones, with my loved ones.”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“All things mountains! I love being with my family hiking, four-wheeling, camping, or anything else in the mountains surrounding this amazing area we are blessed to live in.”
Myla’s responses:
What do you plan to do after graduating from DHS?
“I want to go to school for business administration and entrepreneurship, get my master’s, and start my own business.”
What was the greatest lesson you learned during your internship?
“The most valuable lessons were those about marketing. I am confident that I will use each and every skill I learned about marketing in my future.”
What is your favorite meal to cook at home?
“I love to make pasta salad. It’s simple, fast, and so delicious!”
What hobby are you most passionate about?
“Creativity is my main hobby. I love to paint, draw, embroider, and so much more.”
