Once AP tests are over, it is a known fact that all seniors lose all motivation to do anything productive. These last five weeks are most likely spent walking around the halls or sitting lazily around the library. VHS wanted to make this year different, and thus the Senior Capstone Program was born.

The Senior Capstone Program allows seniors to spend the last five weeks of senior year at an unpaid internship of their choosing with the goal of allowing them to explore areas of interest at a business, community-based location, or educational setting. This program was brought to VHS by Principal Glenn Cesa as a part of fulfilling the new district mission statement that highlights the importance of students becoming productive citizens.

“This project has been something I’ve been excited for for a long time. For a number of years we thought about having an internship program for seniors so they can spend the final five weeks of high school experiencing a different kind of mindset,” explained Mr. Cesa.

Business education teacher Angela Salisbury, one of the program’s coordinators, believes that this program is beneficial to all seniors and “is a great opportunity to try something new that you think you’d be interested in. It is a great way to transition from the end of high school to the beginning of college.”

The opportunities for the Senior Capstone Program are endless. Internships are available within a wide range of small, local businesses and large businesses in the city to fit everyone’s individual preferences. It is the students’ responsibility to find a reliable, appropriate internship that is career focused and related to the student’s post-secondary education or training goals.

So far, the program seems to have stirred an interest in many seniors. The informational meeting held on November 12 attracted about 40 students who all are taking the program under serious consideration.

Although a new experience such as this is very exciting, there is also an understandable amount of hesitation from students. Some students are worried about the school work that they will miss as well as missing out on sports and friends.

The internship will begin immediately following the last day of AP testing and all students who participate will be exempt from final exams. As long as the student is satisfying 20 hours at their workplace, he or she is not required to attend school except for senior class obligations that are in correlation with graduation. If a student plays a spring sport or is involved in another type of extracurricular activity, it is his responsibility to manage his time and schedule work before any practices, games, or other activities.

“I will definitely take advantage of this opportunity,” says senior Matt Riccitelli. “I believe that it gives people an experience in the real world and I think it gives you an edge over others once you get to college.”

Senior Kiera Murphy has a similar outlook on this opportunity. “I think this is a great program that has a lot of potential to build up our resumes. It is a good way to transition into college and the real world that is outside of Verona. I think we are being given experience in our possible majors so that we can decide prior to taking any classes that this is actually what we are interested in doing for the rest of our lives. I will definitely be participating.”