This summer, Meeting Street Schools alumni are gaining hands-on job experience as operations interns at our schools. After attending a Lunch and Learn with employees from Meeting Street Schools and Beemok, they shared their takeaways from the event and reflected on their experiences at Meeting Street Schools as both students and interns.
Alayna Thomas
Alayna Thomas is a junior at Berkeley High School and a Meeting Street Academy – Charleston alumna. This summer, she is working as an operations intern at Meeting Street Elementary & Middle – Brentwood, helping them prepare for the upcoming school year.
What piece of advice or conversation from the Lunch and Learn resonated with you the most?
Making a great impression, having a great work ethic and forming a relationship with teachers/professors and bosses/managers are things that you should always do even in high school because these things give you a good reputation and help you network within businesses and organizations. Something that also stuck with me from the Lunch and Learn was hearing about the behind the scenes work that the Meeting Street Scholarship team does to ensure that students and families have as much help as they can get.
What is one thing you learned while enrolled at Meeting Street Schools that still helps you now?
Something I learned from Meeting Street Academy – Charleston that sticks with me today is the Path to Success. Kindness, gratitude, self-control, empathy, grit, citizenship, curiosity, optimism and integrity are the traits I remember to think about each day no matter what because they help me to stay positive, make an impact and be successful.
David Ferguson
David Ferguson is a sophomore at Boiling Springs High School and a Meeting Street Academy – Spartanburg alumnus who is interning there this summer. He has been working the front desk and helping with enrollment, inventory and administrative tasks before the school year starts. David attended the Lunch and Learn virtually from Spartanburg.
What piece of advice or conversation from the Lunch and Learn resonated with you the most?
The biggest piece of advice that stuck with me was not being afraid to step outside of my comfort zone and take advantage of any opportunities I can. It reminded me that trying new things, even uncomfortable ones, can open many doors and connections for me that I might’ve never had. It also shows my willingness to grow, which can really help me stand out.
What is one thing you learned while enrolled at Meeting Street Schools that still helps you now?
One thing I learned while enrolled at Meeting Street Academy – Spartanburg that still helps me today is the importance of having a growth mindset and not giving up even when things get challenging. That mindset still helps me to this day in many different aspects of my life.
Payton Rivers
Payton Rivers is a Meeting Street Academy – Charleston alumna who is interning there this summer. She is helping the operations team prepare the school for the return of students and teachers. She recently graduated from Ashley Hall and will attend the University of South Carolina this fall to study biological sciences.
What piece of advice or conversation from the Lunch and Learn resonated with you the most?
What resonated with me most at the Lunch and Learn was that everyone wanted to see you succeed.
What is one thing you learned while enrolled at Meeting Street Schools that still helps you now?
At Meeting Street Schools, we were taught to have grit, and I think that still helps me today.
Ayden Wright
Ayden Wright is a sophomore at Berkeley High School and a Meeting Street Academy – Charleston alumnus, and is interning at Brentwood this summer. Ayden has been helping the operations team move furniture into classrooms and set up for events such as the open house.
What piece of advice or conversation from the Lunch and Learn resonated with you the most?
One Meeting Street Schools staff member talked about choosing the right path. Her message reminded me to think about my future very carefully and make choices that will help me succeed.
What is one thing you learned while enrolled at Meeting Street Schools that still helps you now?
One thing that I learned from Meeting Street Academy – Charleston that still helps me is the Path to Success skills and the golden rule: treating others as you would want to be treated.
