On Aug. 1, 2023 the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program celebrated 10 years in operation with a luncheon held at the Plano Events Center. Muns was in attendance along with a number of alums, employers, sponsors and community leaders.
“It’s exciting to hear the amazing things our intern alumni have gone on to do. Their achievements are numerous and remarkable,” said Plano mayor John Muns.
Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program gives Plano public high school students an opportunity to gain experience through an eight-week internship program. This year the program ran from June 12 through Aug. 4.
“For 10 years, this initiative has given hundreds of students the unique opportunity to apply their education and work with some of the top companies in the area. I’m thrilled we had the chance to be part of another successful year of the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program,” said Sanjiv Yajnik, president of Financial Services at Capital One, the program’s sponsor.
Over the eight-weeks, the junior and senior students are provided with the opportunity to work 20- to 40-hour weeks earning a minimum of $12 per hour.
This year approximately 350 Plano public high school students applied for the internship. More than 200 students qualified for the job fair and approximately 70 teens were placed in internships.
All qualifying students attended a virtual internship prep, a mandatory training day and a job fair.
Once the interns were offered a job, they attended a full day of intern enrichment and orientation where they learned about workforce training, business etiquette and communication.
Many interns are enrolled in Plano ISD’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program and are likely to be first-generation college students. Since the program's inception in 2014, more than 850 students have participated in internships.
“I’m so grateful for former mayor LaRosiliere for launching this effort and mayor Muns for continuing the work to cultivate the talent pipeline these last few years. We look forward to the next decade of empowering our youth and connecting them to the thriving community in North Texas," said Yajnik.
At the 10-year celebration event, program organizers reflected on highlights from the last 10 years, which included gathering more than 66,000 pounds of food packed during Community Service Days, a keynote delivered by Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall and intern enrichment fun at Pinstack with Dallas Mavs great Michael Finley.
The event’s keynote speaker Gerald Turner, president of SMU, shared advice and offered encouragement to interns. Capital One, the program’s title sponsor since 2014, also marked the anniversary by surprising five interns with $2,000 scholarships.
“I also want to credit Capital One and my predecessor mayor LaRosiliere for having the dream and vision to start this program a decade ago. I look forward to seeing even more success stories over the next 10 years,” said Muns.
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