Seniors Step Out into the Work World

To give students to real-world experience and avoid the "senior slump", Scarsdale High School has developed a program called Senior Options. This program has students select internships and occasionally independent projects for their final month of school. The program has only a few restrictions: the internship must be unpaid, you cannot work for a family member, and you must complete certain time requirements. This leaves students with the ability to select almost any job that they'd like, which opens up a bunch of new and interesting possibilities. The Senior Options page describes itself as a way to "Allow students to extend the skills and knowledge that they have developed in school by applying them in areas of personal interest."

The program has guidance every step of the way. Not only do students work closely with their "sponsors" (employers), but they also check in every week with a teacher they select who serves as their mentor. This teacher makes sure everything is running smoothly, that they have selected a worthy workplace, and that the student is actually working for the required hours. In the early stages of the process a "case manager", a teacher who doesn't necessarily know the student, also checks to make sure that the student is proposing a worthy internship.

I am working here at Scarsdale 10583 for my Senior Options, and have interviewed a few other seniors about their internships. Their responses are below:

Mollie Kerr: Planned Parenthood

Where are you working for senior options and what are you doing there?

I am working at the administrative offices for Planned Parenthood of the Hudson Peconic. The Hudson Peconic is made up of four counties. Suffolk, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester. There are estimated 2.93 million people living in those four counties combined. I am working with the public affairs department. The Public Affairs Department is in charge of any rallies, events, or outreach that Planned Parenthood is doing.

How did you choose this place?

I chose Planned Parenthood for many reasons. These reasons include, my passion for women's rights, I might want to explore a career similar to this, and in our current political state it is more vital than ever to help Planned Parenthood.

Is it what you expected it to be? Were you surprised by anything?

I was surprised that there was a lot more computer work then I had thought. A lot of my day I am spent in my cubicle going through a huge box of petitions and entering them into the computer. It is mind-numbing tedious work. However I try to be more positive about it seeing how it's a good sign there are so many petition signatures and the more names I enter, the more proof of PP support there is.

What is your favorite part about working there?

My favorite part has been being able to talk to other students and seeing their own desire to help. Going out to events and meeting people who genuinely want to know what you're doing, and why you're so passionate about something has been very meaningful.

Emily Schwartz: Provisions Bakery

Where are you working for senior options and what are you doing there?

I am working at Provisions Bakery in Pelham, NY. Everyday I am baking cakes, cupcakes, and other pastries for the bakery.

How did you choose this place?

I talked with my mentor (Natalie Farina), and I explained how I wanted to work in a bakery. Mrs. Farina has had students work at Provisions in the past, and I was so excited to find a bakery that I could work at.

Is it what you expected it to be? Were you surprised by anything?

Working in the bakery has been so much fun! I knew it would be long hours, and a lot of time on my feet. Frosting cakes and cupcakes requires a lot of concentration. It has defiantly taught me a lot about being patient, even when things don't work out. I was surprised how important it is to be precise when baking. 2 days ago I was making a cake but I wasn't as careful as I should have been making sure the top was leveled out. When it came time to frost the cake, it was uneven.

What is your favorite part about working there?

My favorite part has been being able to create beautiful cakes and cupcakes on my own! Even in just a little time, I have learned so much, and I am so excited to make my own cupcake flavors and frostings later on during Senior Options.

Josie Blatt: Independent Musical Project

What are you doing for senior options?

I'm in the A-School and the Senior Options process is a little different here. We do internships every January and have that sort of experience already under our belts by the time we get to senior year. As a result, The teachers encourage A-School students to do independent projects. I'd say about half of us wind up doing independent projects and half do classic Senior Options. For my project, I decided to write a musical.

Why did you choose this project?

I love musical theater and have wanted to try and write a musical for a while, but I just haven't had the time. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to attempt this project. I don't expect to finish writing a musical in a month, but I'd definitely like to finish at least a few of the songs.

Is it what you expected? Were you surprised by anything?

To be honest, it's a lot harder than I expected. I have a pretty strong background in music, but I'm less experienced with lyrics, storyboarding, and dialogue, which are obviously important components in a musical.

What is your favorite part about the project?

It's amazing to able to express myself in this way. Like I said before, I wouldn't normally have the time to do this sort of thing and it's wonderful the project is so open-ended. There are guidelines, but for the most part I was let loose and told to be creative. It's such a unique setting and I'm so glad to have it.

Karen Zaklama: Museum of Natural History

Where are you working for senior options and what are you doing there?

I am working at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I am working two different positions- in the mornings I work with teaching volunteers and speak in particular exhibits with tourists, students, and other visitors. In the afternoon, I work in the volunteer office on a variety of projects. I either help to organize files or give tours of our temporary exhibits.

How did you choose this place?

When looking for an internship, I knew I wanted something interesting, science related, and vibrant. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time at this particular museum, and decided that giving the job a shot would be fun.

Is it what you expected it to be? Were you surprised by anything?

I had few expectations about the whole thing, just because volunteering offices are so variant. I did expect, however, that it would take a very long time to grasp all of the information necessary to teaching museum exhibits. However, I found that I learned relatively quickly amongst the other volunteers. I was also surprised at how valued volunteers are at the museum, and the dependence visitors have on volunteers, whom the public perceive as "experts."

What is your favorite part about working there?

My favorite part about working at the museum is learning all of the secrets. I have learned about the various science labs, private hallways, nightly events, visitor incidents, and curating history that adds to the complete environment of the museum. I think having the opportunity to speak to a scientist devoted to artifact presentation or look at articles dating back to the 1800s on African taxidermy adds a richness to my understanding of how scientific and historical information is communicated.

Do you have a Senior Options experience? Please send a description and a photo to [email protected] and we will include it in this article.