By Yolanda White, account manager

As early as seventh grade, I knew I would work in communications. I’d spend time in middle and high school working as a writer or editor on the yearbook, newspaper and radio staffs, and I gladly gave up portions of my summer to learn as much as I could. Often that meant attending summer immersion programs on college campuses or in rare cases, working side-by-side with a professional who shared my enthusiasm for writing.

So when the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists (IABJ) asked Borshoff to participate in a recent multimedia workshop by providing an “internship” for two high school seniors – and leaders here said yes – I was excited.

It’s common for Borshoff to hire college students as interns. These students usually are upperclassmen or recent college grads. Opening the doors to high school students in this way is a new endeavor.

But what’s not new is the value we place on learning. And what better way to prepare the next generation of communicators than to provide opportunities for them to be immersed in the real world of work, where they can build knowledge.

The two days our “interns” spent with us, we made sure they attended meetings, conducted research, participated in brainstorming sessions and got a taste of what it’s like to write on tight deadlines.

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