EHS students entering school for the 2024-2025 school year were greeted with brand-new MacBooks and freshly waxed floors. These updates were provided in part by the district interns and staff, who worked over the summer.
In May of the 2023-2024 school year, an email was sent to EHS students containing applications for internship positions in the maintenance and technology fields. Both applications contained questions pertaining to technical skills and students’ availability. Selected students were invited to the second round of the application process, an interview, after which about 10-20 total high schoolers were selected for each department.
Interns performed tasks around the school building pertaining to the reconditioning of the school. For example, custodial interns cleaned the floors, painted the walls, dusted, and cleaned the outside grounds.
“We look for someone who is hardworking and interested in learning about facilities maintenance,” said Mr. William Kolibas, the grounds-supervisor for Edison High. “Be prepared to work hard and have fun at the same time working with other interns.”
Interns for the Technology and Custodial departments were also faced with challenges, such as keeping up with the time commitment. Many students were a part of summer programs and sports camps, making it difficult to juggle all these activities.
“It is beneficial to be prepared knowing that this internship is demanding with long hours, but also a highly rewarding experience at the end of it” said Aashi Tamboli ’26 when asked about advice for other students curious about the experience.
However, these internships served as an opportunity for students to acquire real-world experience for working a job.
“Show up with an open mind and ready to work,” said Mr. Dennis De Maio, one of the Technology Department staff for Edison Township.
The internship allowed interns to explore possible career options through the hands-on experience they encountered when working with different technological systems. Additionally, for many interns, this internship was their first paying job, a meritorious achievement. The technology interns also gained many skills, such as replacing batteries and screens, programming new devices with student accounts, and installing necessary applications onto each device, giving them applicable experience.
“The most rewarding part,” said Intern John Re ‘25, “was just being able to chat to the other coworkers and being a part of a team.”
