School To Work Students take on the working world

words & layout | Abigail Wharton

The school to work program enables seniors to be considered full-time students while exploring their possible career paths. It is a year-long elective that students take fifth period, leaving sixth, seventh, and eighth periods open for an internship of their choice and the potential to make some money.

Business teachers Kayla Bousum and Lexi Shafer run the program. Students who are interested in participating apply as juniors and then proceed to be interviewed by the facilitators. Bousum said that in order to narrow down the applicants from 120 students to 60 they ask questions about their job history, senior year schedule, transportation, and initiative-taking ability.

“We have to try to find the kids that are already focused on their career,” Bousum said.

Chosen students meet during fifth period from the beginning of the school year until the middle of October. They work on employability skills, cover letters, and resumes while searching for an internship that resembles what they might be interested in pursuing in the future. Around mid-October, students begin working at least ten hours every week.

Students receive two full elective credits from Johnston – one for coursework and one for time spent at their internship. Additionally, they

DMACC credits for the course while learning about everything from airways to splinting and even delivering babies. On top of nightly homework, students have three eight hour clinicals in the emergency department and three twelve hour ambulance shifts.

“The nurses monitored us super closely, and they taught us really well how to do everything,” Godfredsen said.

Students then prepare for the National Registry Exam at the end of the semester. They must get at least eighty percent correct to pass. Once they are certified, they are able to work as EMTs and make $18-$25 an hour.

While not a participant in Johnston’s school to work program, Kennedy Godfredsen 23’ is part of another class that allows her to work while in school.

The EMT program is a blocked semester-long class offered to seniors who want to be EMTs. They receive six receive nine elective credits from DMACC for work-based learning and administration. The DMACC credits transfer to most universities as elective credits saving students time and money.

Godfredsen recommends the program for anyone interested in medicine. She plans to work as an EMT throughout college to pay for her undergraduate degree and medical school. She would like to pursue a career as an obstetrician-gynecologist or an orthopedic specialist.

If students dislike their internship, they may be able to switch as long as they attend both work and class and their employer does not have any complaints. While it may be frustrating to switch internships, students get to try out another field that may be a better fit for them.

“That’s a win. You didn’t just waste four years in school and thousands of dollars of college tuition money on a major that you weren’t going to enjoy anyway,” Bousum said.

Ava Morgan ‘23 is an intern at the West Des Moines police Department. She has shadowed officers on everything from patrol and school resources to detective and canine units.

Morgan attributes her interest in community service to her Dad who served as a Sergeant at the Des Moines Police Department from 2006 until he passed in 2020.

“I don’t have to go to work everyday, but I really enjoy my days when I do,” Morgan said.

Alex Wear ‘23 is an intern at Charter Bank where he regularly works with formulating and converting data and occasionally with the teller line. His internship is paid, but Wear isn’t exactly pleased with his hourly wage.

“It’s not great. I’m there for the experience,” Wear said.

He believes that school to work is a great resume builder and an opportunity to combat senioritis.

He hopes to take his experience with him to college where he plans to double major in finance and economics with minors in computer science and accounting. After receiving his degree, he wants to work as an investment banking analyst on Wall Street.