High schoolers are working at Delaware’s biggest banks, power companies and real estate firms

Nineteen Delaware high school students are entering their senior year more prepared for the future than when they left 11th grade.

Yes, We Tech!, a seven-week paid internship program from the First State Tech Partnership (FSTP), had its graduation on August 7 at Tonic in Wilmington, where students shared their experiences and celebrated with family. 

Led by the Tech Council of Delaware, the FSTP is a sectoral partnership between employers, educational institutions, tech workforce providers and community organizations. It also gave out 13 $1,000 scholarships to some of the interns.

Students spent two days a week in a classroom setting learning technology and soft skills from Code Differently instructors. Three days each week were devoted to internships with companies including CSC, Buccini Pollin Group, WSFS Bank, Delmarva Power, Rodel, Code Differently and the Tech Council of Delaware. 

This year, thanks to sponsors, the students also received a full suit, shoes and watches, as well as a tour of Villanova University, The Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, an elevator pitch session with DuPont, and other events. The model — balancing internships, classroom learning, field trips and soft skills — aims to prepare students for what comes after high school, whatever path they choose.

A hands-on summer internship to build real-world skills

The tech internships put the students, all rising seniors this year, inside local companies.

They learned hands-on what it’s like to be a part of a work team, the different kinds of jobs available in different industries and, of course, networking.

“You gain digital literacy skills, but you also learn a lot about socializing,” said graduate Mustafa Afzal of Charter School of Wilmington, who interned with WSFS Bank. “It’s very intimidating at first, but once you get used to it you can get to know more people who have way more experience than you.”

On the applications and data services team at WSFS, Afzal helped create reports while learning about customer compliance and anti-trust laws in the banking industry.

As part of the graduation ceremony, intern Israyel Harris of Cab Calloway School of the Arts showed a short film about the program she had filmed and edited together. 

An intern with Code Differently, Harris helped with its digital media team, her area of interest at Cab. She also said that the program helped her become more confident speaking in front of people, and helped her make new friends ahead of the new school year.

“There’s a girl named Nadia, she goes to school in the same building and we’d never met,” said Harris. “Now, I feel like we’re really good friends.”

Another program graduate, Khalid Alexander of St. Georges Technical High School, has started two small businesses since he was 15, including a streetwear clothing ecommerce store. Alexander gave the graduation speech, recalling his time interning for developers Buccini Pollin Group.

As an entrepreneur, his ultimate goal may be something other than development, but, like Harris, Alexander found ways to apply his professional interests to his internship.

“When I went to BPG I was interested in the marketing section, so that I could increase my marketing skills,” Alexander said.

‘It’s really worth it’

The 19 students look with more confidence toward a challenging year of choices, applications and interviews.

Coming up behind them in Delaware’s public, charter and vo-tech schools are rising juniors who may wonder if it would be worth it to apply for next summer. 

The consensus: Definitely apply.

Only some applicants are accepted, and the program takes work and drive, but for every student I spoke to, it was an enriching experience.

“I would say just do it, even if you’re afraid of the interview, even if you’re afraid of going into a new environment,” said Harris. “It’s really worth it.”

Updated 8/7/24