Evan Zimmet Running through the sand, throwing around a baseball, or diving into a swimming pool: these are common activities that identify summer vacation for kids of all ages. Summer is a time of freedom, adventure. It marks the end of a challenging school year and the beginning of three months of fun to celebrate the end of a challenging school year. Just ask any student at any school. But aside from all of the fun activities that come with summer, summer is a time for students to explore the “real world” and to get experiences they just cannot get from the classroom. As I prepared for my junior year in high school, I used this past summer to my advantage, and to explore my passions through “real life” experiences. I was an intern at the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. As I observed from my desk, what I had learned in Journalism class came to life, and I learned even more from the tasks I performed. I did not get paid, nor did I siphon away jobs in a complicated, decimated economy with high unemployment rates. I was literally “free labor,” and I gave up my life “under the sun” for a couple of weeks. But the experience was truly rewarding. There are many high school students like me who have a passion they want to pursue outside of a classroom. Through internships, these students can expand their knowledge of their passions and instantly get an edge as they prepare for the next school year, or even as they leave school and pursue a career in the “real world.” By entering the workplace, even briefly, students have the ability to learn how a real office works, observe what the typical jobs and tasks of that profession are, and view relationships between clients and the businesses. Student interns have the ability to see the magic of the industry happen with their own eyes, rather than hear words coming from a teacher’s mouth. Plus, when the intern gives new ideas to the company, they feel important. It gives the intern a sense of accomplishment in the classroom and for the future. No matter the industry, the experience is rewarding, exciting and just plain “cool.” But enough about the student. These internships are beneficial to the business, as well. First of all, the students want to work, and they want to prove what they can do, so they will be hardworking and willing to help. These students can be used as additional resources and each intern will bring in a new, fresh perspective about the business and the business’ ideas. Most adults will admit that the new advances in technology are too complicated to constantly follow, but for the current interns, technology is a part of their lives: that’s all they know. They will know the new trends, social media, and they can keep businesses updated about where the consumer is in today’s market. For the boss, interns will keep the boss inspired. Idealism on the part of the interns will force leaders within the business to reflect upon and stay true to the company’s values and ideals. Reflecting back on my summer internship, I truly appreciate every “real-life” experience that I gained. I hope that I was beneficial to the company, because the Business Journal certainly made my internship rewarding. I know if more companies and students participated in these two-way internships, both the company and the student would benefit. From the student’s perspective, I might have just gotten “my feet wet,” but I am one step closer, like all interns, to being able to successfully “dive” into the business world when I am older.