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Hooper: Helping prepare young people for new lives, new careers

 
Strawberry Crest High senior Teddy Verra spent time with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue driver engineer Ragon Frost, learning about the agency’s dispatch department.
Strawberry Crest High senior Teddy Verra spent time with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue driver engineer Ragon Frost, learning about the agency’s dispatch department.
Published July 16, 2015

In her past: the earthquake that ravaged her homeland of Haiti, journeying to the United States and leaving behind a mother she hasn't seen in five years.

In her present: classes at D.W. Waters Career Center, a 1-year-old daughter and a new home at Alpha House, where she receives safe housing and lessons on self-sufficiency.

It's the future of 19-year-old Merline Exantus, however, that inspires, a future fueled not only by Alpha House but also the opportunities fostered by the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

Thanks to the foundation, Exantus spends her summer days as a paid intern for the nonprofit Dress For Success Tampa Bay. The spark in her eyes poke out from the dark curly hair framing her face and she smiles easily as she talks about the experience.

She's joyous about arriving at the nonprofit in professional attire. She's excited about adding typing, telephone etiquette and other tools to her skill set. She's equally pleased about her daily interactions with Dress For Success executive director Katie McGill and the other professional women who Exantus interacts with.

"I've learned a lot and what I'm learning is motivating me," said Exantus, who hopes to someday become a nurse.

Strawberry Crest High senior Teddy Verra tells a similar story. Teddy, 17, walks the halls of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue with an air of confidence. As a student in the high school's firefighter academy program, he's heard about life as a first responder in the classroom.

Now, as an intern with the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Foundation, Verra gets first-hand looks at all aspects of the operation while helping executive director Ronnie Rivera prepare for the upcoming awards banquet Nov. 13 at the Regent in Riverview.

"It's been a cool experience," Teddy said. "It's the first real job I've ever had and it's been a good time."

The cool experiences rose from JPMorgan Chase's desire to foster workforce readiness. The company saw a need to promote preparing students for the workplace and keeping talent in Tampa Bay. It partnered with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to create a summer internship program aimed at career and technical students most likely to enter the workforce right after graduation.

The program centers on a job fair that matches pre-qualified students with businesses, but the education foundation smartly called on Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay to prep participating students with its career success program. They entered the job fair after being coached on resume preparation and interview skills.

Bank of America stepped up to provide additional funding so nonprofits could participate in the program.

In April, businesses gathered at the Florida State Fairgrounds looking for some low-cost summer labor. But they ended up finding much more: heart-wrenching stories and eye-opening opportunities to get some summer help and make a difference for some deserving kids.

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"They were jazzed," said Ginn McGrath, senior director of marketing for the education foundation. "They were impressed with the intelligence and integrity that these kids had."

Jacob Lawrence, career and technical education coordinator for the foundation, said the kids left such a strong impression that some of the employers immediately asked if they could take on more interns.

The results from the first summer of the program have been positive. But there were challenges.

The foundation had to help provide clothes and transportation for some students. But the payoff has been immense.

Students are happy, employers are pleased. Keep in mind that these aren't the scholars who always appear to have their destinies already set. These internships can be the difference between success and failure for the kids in this group. They needed a boost and they're getting it.

The program seems poised to make a life-altering impact.

Life-altering? When you consider the immeasurable confidence each student gains and add in the fact some may find permanent work through the program, it's appropriate.

That's all I'm saying.