“Throughout the course of my internship with Therapicasso through Project Talent Launch (PTL), I was given the opportunity to explore my passions through creative writing. This internship helped me grow more comfortable with my voice and taught me that every writer is able to bring something unique to the table. Through the many revision sessions, my internship director, Gabby/Lex Wong, offered me invaluable feedback on my work and helped me further solidify my personal writing style. Thanks to this experience, I now feel confident in the way I convey stories and messages. PTL has played a significant role in both my personal and professional development, equipping me with experience and knowledge that I will cherish for years to come."

“Being a part of the AWIU organization through PTL has truly been such a wonderful experience. I learned first hand how friendships impact how we as people interact and face one another on a day to day basis. Through my research and interviews, I got to see an exclusive insight into the AWIU community, which was even more friendly and welcoming than I had imagined! This internship developed my ability to retell personal experiences into thoughtful stories that communicate an organization filled with love. While this internship allowed for me to become more professional, it also taught me the importance of having fun and being open to new challenges. PTL is a great way to get introduced to internships and an amazing opportunity to start networking with others. Building experiences can happen anytime and it is never too late to start if you do not have any."

“After interning at Walnut Hill Pasadena Optometrics for a month, it’s safe to say that I was able to take a lot back from this experience. From the direct interaction with patients and learning how to pretest them, to finding my rhythm in a workplace environment and getting a taste of what an actual job feels like, everything I did was wholly new, yet intriguing and exciting. My day-to-day responsibilities included sending appointment reminders to patients, sorting inventory, getting glasses or contacts ready for pickup, and pretesting patients. From these, I was able to grow both my technical and professional skills as I learned how to pick things up in a fast-paced environment, strengthened my problem-solving skills, and practiced talking professionally to patients. I am so grateful that PTL provided this opportunity, as I was able to explore an area of interest while growing and developing myself. If given the chance, I would definitely come back and do it again."

“During my time interning with Project Talent Launch, I have gained valuable experiences and met so many incredible people. PTL helped me secure my internship at Neighborhood Music School where I worked on their social media which is something I am genuinely passionate about. The application process was also quick and easy, and they got back to me right away. This made my experience stress free and exciting. The biggest skill I’ve developed during my time at PTL was improving my communications skills. I had the chance to collaborate with other interns and even connect with other PTL staffs who were all welcoming and easy to talk to. Being part of this program helped me feel more confident in talking with others and expressing my ideas in a more professional setting. After I have experienced my first ever internship with Project Talent Launch, I have a much better understanding on how it is like to work in a real world environment. I also now feel more prepared for future opportunities I may experience. I’m so grateful for the experience here as it helped grow both personally and professionally."

“At my PTL internship at Kumon of Arcadia North, I served as an Assistant Teacher. I was responsible for helping students improve their reading and math skills, as well as making individualized progress reports. This included grading, correcting, and filing their work accurately. I also had to alternate between educational and administrative tasks throughout each shift to make sure everything ran smoothly for both staff and students. As it was my first professional job, the internship taught me that mistakes are inevitable, but the feedback that comes with it is critical for growth. This first internship brought me a new experience, as well as skills and lessons, that I’ll surely bring into future opportunities. PTL helped me achieve my goals by making the process of finding and applying for an internship so much easier than I thought it would be, and it provided local, accessible internships. As a high school student, I wasn’t really sure how I would strengthen my experience with a job, as I couldn’t really find any opportunities for beneficial extracurriculars that weren’t incredibly hard to grab, but PTL provided me with the resources and support I needed."

“Interning with Project Talent Launch (PTL) as a research intern for American Women for International Understanding, a nonprofit organization, was an incredibly valuable experience. My role involved conducting research and presenting my findings to my manager on a weekly basis, which helped me strengthen both my organization and presentation skills. Through this paid internship, I also learned how to communicate professionally and manage tasks more efficiently. I loved having access to a wide range of internship opportunities through PTL, and the experience truly helped me grow. I’ve already recommended the program to several friends and would encourage any student looking for meaningful, real-world experience to apply!”

“My time at PTL has given me an experience that I never thought I would be able to have as a high schooler. From the moment I had been welcomed by PTL at orientation, I knew I had found a team of people dedicated to helping students like me out. I have gotten to meet amazing people through my internship, explore my skills, and further develop my passion for my future career. Thanks to PTL, I was able to step foot into a more professional atmosphere. This internship PTL has provided has truly been influential to my education.”

“Some skills I learned from my internship are communication, time management, professionalism, and taking accountability. Completing the internship taught me how to manage my time in private to coordinate with the pace at which the entire team was progressing. I learned to balance these two sides of the internship and stepped away with new insight on how to communicate professionally in the digital world. I had a great time completing the internship and I’m very grateful that I was able to have such an experience through the accessibility that PTL created.”

“I truly believe that PTL has helped me in so many different ways. Not only has it given me the opportunity to get a paid internship, which is something not very common for high school students, it also introduced me to Cheese Financial. Cheese taught me so much, everything from email marketing to user interviews, to even how to manage a website's SEO through blog posts.”

Testimonials From Previous Internship Sponsors

“[The intern] assisted at multiple events. It was great to have an extra set of hands.”

“[The intern] was a quick, attentive learner and asked questions frequently. When he was tasked with a new assignment, he was also able to pivot and change directions fast. He reported on his progress regularly and incorporated any feedback into his work.”

“[The intern] was very engaged and always had a positive attitude. One day, we had an optional volunteer opportunity for the internship that started at 5am that [the intern] joined us for, which shows his great attitude!”

“[The intern] was able to help us and complete many projects we were working on, she did an amazing job on all tasks we asked her to do”

“I got to meet younger generations and see how eager they are to grow!”