I recently attended the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ Annual Conference. One keynote speaker was truly inspiring. Steve Pemberton is the author of A Chance in the World and The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World. He spoke of his upbringing in the foster care system and how the system wrote him off, yet there were three educators throughout his formative years who helped guide him. They were lighthouses shining the way for him. It was inspiring.
I view the New Legacy Team as lighthouses helping lead the way for our students, and the same is true of the broader community working to support our students. For example, when a student begins an internship, they are assigned a mentor at their internship site who offers them patient guidance and understanding. Thanks in large part to these mentors, our students’ internships make a true difference in their lives, paving the way to a bright future. Below are some recent examples of students who have found success in their internships thanks in large part to their mentors’ guidance.
- Loviana is a junior with an internship at the Center for Community Violence Solutions. Her mentor had the following to say: “We are a group of thinkers and innovators and Loviana fits right in with our group. We are very impressed with her abilities as a teenager and we’re extremely confident that she will excel no matter the job, no matter the occupation.”
- Harmanie recently obtained an internship at Care Smiles Orthodontics. Amazingly, she did this while also attending Medical Administration Training onsite at New Legacy. As a senior in her first year at New Legacy, she has already proven herself to be a great role model with leadership potential.
- Lucero, a junior, is in her first year at New Legacy. She completed a job shadowing at the Medical Center of Aurora, which cemented her decision to pursue a healthcare career. From there, she was selected to be one of the first students to participate in UCHealth’s new volunteer program, which has pathways to careers in the hospital. The program even offers some tuition assistance and reimbursement programs for participants. Lucero has shown impressive responsibility, consistency, and adaptability, and we can’t wait to see where she ends up.
- A senior named Vianey obtained an internship at Dino’s Autobody Repair. Her first meeting with them left such a great impression that they were excited to hire her and offer her training. At the same time, she signed up to take part in an OSHA certification program. This program is offered onsite at New Legacy in partnership with CHIC (Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities). She hopes to take what she learns from her OSHA certification back to Dino’s and continue interning with them next quarter.
We are always so proud to see our amazing students finding a path in this world, and the lighthouses in their lives showing the way.