When students gather at Boeing Center at Tech Port later this month for the Internship Celebration & Showcase, they'll arrive with more than completed projects and new additions to their résumés.
Many will also bring a clearer picture of what the workplace looks like, what careers interest them, and what skills they'll need as they take the next step in their education and professional lives. The July 30 event will bring together students, employers, educators, and community partners to celebrate another year of the SA WORX High School Summer Internship Program and recognize the accomplishments of this year's internship cohort.
Now in its 11th year, the SA WORX High School Summer Internship Program has served more than 53,000 young San Antonians since 2015, engaged more than 1,200 employers, partnered with 19 school districts, and generated more than $7 million in cumulative youth wages. Those opportunities place students inside businesses, nonprofits, schools, healthcare organizations, and community programs across the region, giving them experiences that extend far beyond the classroom.
For employers and economic developers, those experiences are an important part of building the talent pipeline needed to support the region's future growth. By connecting students with real workplace experiences, SA WORX helps strengthen the connection between education, workforce development, and industry needs.
What students describe taking away from those experiences often has less to do with a specific project and more to do with a shift in perspective.
One of the first lessons many students encounter is understanding how organizations operate.
Alessa Sanchez spent the summer interning at USAA, where she quickly gained appreciation for the scale and coordination required to support a large organization.
“What I have enjoyed most about this internship is getting the opportunity to meet a lot of different people in many departments,” Sanchez said. “What has stood out to me is how much goes on behind the scenes in big companies like USAA and the plans they make for the future.”
She said the experience has also helped her focus on building confidence in professional settings and strengthening her workplace communication skills.
For many students, internships also become an opportunity to explore fields they had little exposure to before.
Alexia Maure entered the summer with an interest in business. By the end of her internship, she had gained experience in data analytics, coding, and SQL while learning how information helps support business decisions.
“What I've enjoyed most about my internship is learning about data analytics and seeing how it supports real business decisions,” Maure said. “Since I'm interested in studying business in college, it has been exciting to gain firsthand experience in a field that plays such an important role in helping organizations succeed.”
The technical side of the work stood out, but so did the opportunity to challenge herself with something entirely new.
“Before this internship, I had never worked with SQL, so it has been a valuable experience to challenge myself with something completely new,” she said. “I've also enjoyed seeing how data analysts use tools and data to solve problems and generate insights.”
Career exploration is just one part of the internship experience. Building relationships is another.
Many participants pointed to the people they met as one of the most valuable parts of the experience, particularly the professionals willing to share advice, guidance, and insight into their careers.
That was certainly true for Maya Aguirre-Low, who spent the summer as a Financial Analyst Intern at USAA.
“My favorite aspect of my internship at USAA has been networking with my fellow interns, mentors, and business professionals,” Aguirre-Low said. “Everyone here has been very friendly, something I wasn't expecting to see in the corporate world.”
While learning about procurement operations, contract management, and risk management, she found herself returning to the same lesson repeatedly.
“I have learned the huge importance of networking,” she said. “Every professional has emphasized networking when asked what advice they have to give to individuals new to the corporate and business world.”
Mentorship emerged as another recurring theme among students.
At USAA, students highlighted Lance Nelson, Senior Sourcing & Procurement Manager, for creating a welcoming environment, taking time to explain procurement processes, inviting them to meetings with professionals and suppliers, and ensuring they gained as much exposure as possible throughout the summer. His hands-on approach helped students better understand both the industry and the professional expectations that come with it.
Students at Credit Human similarly recognized Rebecca-Lynn Quiroga for creating a well-rounded internship experience through regular check-ins, meaningful project work, networking opportunities, and guidance in exploring potential career paths. Those efforts helped interns build confidence while gaining a broader understanding of the workplace and the opportunities available to them.
Not every internship takes place in a corporate environment, however. Some students spend their summers working directly with people and serving their communities, developing a different set of skills along the way.
Serving as a camp counselor with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, Sergio Reyes learned more about patience, leadership, and communication while working with children throughout the summer.
“What I've enjoyed most about my internship as a camp counselor is being able to work with the kids and understand my strengths and how to be patient,” Reyes said. “It has also been exciting to work alongside other interns my age.”
The experience taught him how to better understand what children may be feeling and how to adapt to different situations as they arise.
“One thing I've learned is mainly how to be patient with children, understanding what they may be feeling and how to approach situations,” he said.
Taken together, these stories highlight something that doesn't always show up on an internship job description. Students leave with technical knowledge, workplace experience, and professional contacts, but they also leave with a clearer understanding of themselves and their future possibilities.
Those discoveries are among the outcomes Trisha Garza, Workforce Development Manager at greater:SATX, says the program is designed to create.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the program is watching students gain confidence as they step into professional environments and realize what they are capable of. Whether they are building technical skills, developing workplace habits, or exploring new career interests, these experiences often open doors they didn't know existed,” she said.
The benefits extend beyond students.
Josh Scott, Senior Vice President of Talent & Workforce at greater:SATX, says work-based learning creates stronger connections between education and industry while giving employers an opportunity to engage future talent.
“Work-based learning creates value for everyone involved. Students gain exposure to careers and professional environments, employers gain access to emerging talent, and the region benefits from stronger connections between education and workforce needs,” Scott said.
As this year's interns prepare for the Internship Celebration & Showcase, they'll carry very different experiences with them.
Some discovered a potential career path. Others learned a new technical skill, built professional relationships, or gained confidence in a workplace setting for the first time.
No two internship experiences look exactly alike, but each offers something difficult to learn in a classroom alone: a firsthand understanding of what comes next. Those experiences are also part of how San Antonio continues building the workforce needed to support future employers, industries, and economic opportunity across the region.