One of the many opportunities Salida High School is proud to offer is Fred Maxwell’s Internship class. This class meets at the Kesner building and is one college credit through Colorado Mountain College. This class is focused on helping students figure out what they want to do after high school.
Even if students don’t know what they want to do after high school, this class has allowed many to get an in-person experience to see what would interest them the most in the future. Maxwell is very excited to help kids explore their passions, no matter how nice their interests might be. Students know that his favorite saying for this class is “your job is to put me to work!”
This class has also allowed many people to get jobs. For example, Salida High School junior Ben Hillegas, has taken Maxwell’s class twice. Last semester, Hillegas had a welding internship with Scott Schule, and this semester he is working on getting his Commercial Drivers License, which is a specific license that lets you drive large trucks and vehicles. There is a cost to get this license, but the place where Hillegas currently works is paying for his CDL for him.
While there, Hillegas has been riding along with the drivers, who talk to him about what to expect and the job in general. Although Ben doesn’t have the license yet, he still has a job waiting for him because of this class. Starting this coming summer, he will have a job driving large machines for the company he is interning with. Hillegas pointed out that “it’s just something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
Another opportunity from Maxwell’s class is that it allows students to be able to reach towards a dream job and have fun while doing it. Junior Edwin (Mwendwa) Fairman, who is completing an internship regarding aviation, has enjoyed the class.
“I’ve been interested in aviation my whole life, so it’s really cool to get to be around it more. I’m hoping to become a pilot when I’m older, and this internship is taking me closer to that.”
This semester is the first time Fairman has taken the class and he is interning at the Salida Airport. Fairman notes that, so far he has been doing “all types of things, from refueling planes to fixing runway lights to keeping the place clean.”
Finally, Maxwell’s class has shown many students what their dream job is. One student in particular is senior Rian Baker, who can often be found on the football field or basketball court because her dream job is to be an athletic trainer.
“Being able to see what happens on the field has made my passion for the career grow so much,” Baker said.
For her internship, she learns from the Athletic trainer at the high school, and she helps with evaluations and taping during the school day and sideline coverage for all sports. She has greatly enjoyed the class.
“This class has been the highlight of my senior year. I love helping athletes and it is something I am very passionate about. Getting to learn how to help people and what will help them is very important to me,” Baker said.
These students are just a small portion of the kids taking Maxwell’s class, which has allowed them to thrive and have a solid foundation for their future. Maxwell, SHS, and CMC all hope that this class will continue to help kids find their passions after high school.