Ever heard the term “soft skills”? It doesn’t come in a cone from Dairy Queen.
Soft skills are capabilities such as critical thinking, teamwork, and work ethic which enable a job to be done well. Too many of us don’t have them. And they aren’t as easy to get as a cone of soft serve. They are the difference between being a competent member of the work force and being an exceptional force in the work place.
Pasadena Unified School District encourages the pursuit of these important skills. While all of its high school students complete a minimum of 40 community service hours, summer internships are required for each College and Career Academy graduate. The goal: Ensure students attain on-the-job skills needed for real world success, including those soft skills required to flourish in the ever-evolving modern economy.
Pasadena Educational Foundation was proud to host four outstanding PUSD high school interns this summer:
Blair High School – Health Pathway
Dinorah Lopez Fuego
Pasadena High School – Law & Public Service Pathway
Kamesha Moore
Wesley O’Callaghan
Andrew Treto
Our PEF Interns, along with their fellow students, were honored this past Saturday, August 17, 2019 at Brookside Golf Course. All interned for a minimum of 60 hours with prominent Pasadena businesses and organizations. Combined, our PEF interns completed over 300 hours of service in our Summer Enrichment classrooms as teacher’s aides and assisting in our main office. At the celebration, the confidence of these exceptional students was palpable.
We look forward to continuing to support the PUSD internship program in the years to come. While everyone at PEF did our best to create a valuable learning experience for our interns, we know we got even more from them – faith in the promise of a brighter future and a stronger, healthier community for us all.
by Nancy Carol Inguanzo, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Every student. Every school. Every day.
Are you interested in interning with PEF? Want to know more about this program?
Contact Nancy Carol Inguanzo at ncinguanzo@pasedfoundation.org.
