As an intern at Federation Employment and Guidance Services (F.E.G.S) this past summer, I was able to experience the real world on a new level. At F.E.G.S, I obtained hands-on experience about the college admissions process. My job involved preparing students entering the college world. Ironically, I am applying to college in the Fall of 2007. Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was coincidence. Either way, I will never forget my internship with F.E.G.S.

My supervisor, Nicole Fields, should receive most of the credit. Without her guidance and knowledge, I would not be so well-equipped for the upcoming months of my senior year. Every day, she took me under her wing and showed me details of the intriguing world faced by high school seniors. Now that I have studied and researched under her supervision, I am no longer so afraid of becoming a senior and breaking out of my shell.

Ms. Fields made me feel more like a partner than a worker, someone who was an integral part of her team. An example: there were six workers at the office, and whenever someone had a question and wanted others' opinions, they would say, “Okay guys, I'm pulling the bull pen.” At this time, we all would turn from our desks and discuss what was on the initiator's mind. Thus, we were all comfortable with asking for help when we needed it, and we also were not hesitant to give it.

This internship required full dedication and commitment, and I was happy to oblige. Projects were like candy being given to a child because they were so interesting. I realized during my internship that many seniors are unaware of the many opportunities that colleges offer to prospective students. Some colleges even offer to fly students in to visit their college for free just so that they can experience life on campus. In addition, there are many websites that assist in matching the right schools for students who don't know where to attend. One such site is: http://www.princetonreview.com .

Now that the internship has ended, I feel that it is my duty to share with others what I have learned in my experience. As a student searching for answers, I believe that there is always a way to find answers if there is a strong desire. Because of my supervisor, Nicole Fields, and my experience working as an intern at F.E.G.S, I hold the key to the college world. Nothing can stop me now.

Throughout my internship, I worked on a presentation to change how Thirteen/ WNET New York recruits its staff. When I was first presented with this task, I thought that I would be overwhelmed. However, I met Marc Morales, who is the head of the Human Resources Department at Thirteen/ WNET New York, a position he has held for more than 30 years. Even though Mr. Morales holds an important position in the company, he is a fun person who enjoys watching Rutgers University football and basketball games. He makes an effort to establish a relationship with almost everyone in the company. He made me feel extremely comfortable, and I was able to share my ideas and suggestions for the project with him.

Mr. Morales began this project because he believed that other managers in the company were not taking the interview process for new hires seriously, and that they were simply hiring people that they felt comfortable with during the interview, and not because of their specific skills or abilities. My role in creating this presentation was not only to incorporate and emphasize the skills of capability, commitment, and chemistry, but to add diversity as an equally important factor in the interview process. Mr. Morales believed that I would be a qualified person for such a task due to my experience as a YouthBridge-NY Fellow, which has taught me about the important role that diversity plays in the workplace and in the world. Marc taught me that the main goal for managers to understand is that “Good recruitment techniques result in diversity.”

Mr. Morales gave me the same words of encouragement that he had learned when he created his first presentation. He informed me that, “You can't create something from scratch; there are always other resources to use to pull ideas from.” He also told me that he wanted me to come away from the experience with "a finished product.” I knew that I had a major challenge ahead of me, and that I could seriously make a change in how such a world renowned company operates. I was encouraged to create a finished product and to be able to say that I accomplished something big when I was only 17 years old.

My typical summer has always consisted of waking up late and relaxing. This past summer 2007, however, has been very different. Each day, I woke up early, prepared my lunch, and headed to the train station. For someone who lives in Queens, traveling to Affinity Health Plan in the Bronx was quite the journey. I constantly found myself surrounded by hardworking people that taught me to take pride in what I was doing.

Looking at me you can easily identify me as a Mexican whose first language was Spanish. What does that have to do with anything? Believe it or not that has everything to do with it. I am just one of many who represent diversity. Affinity Health Plan literally celebrates diversity and I loved to go to work in a place that accepted me for who I am, for the language I speak, for the color I am, and for the culture I represent.

I have been able to learn more about myself through this internship. I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. But Affinity Health Plan helped me to see myself in the future. I now know with what kind of people I want to be around in the workplace. I want to go to work every day with people who like what they do, who are open to my ideas and suggestions, and best of all, who are not like me.

During my internship, I was fortunate to spend some time with Abenna Abboa-Offei, Vice President for Public Affairs and Community Service for Affinity Health Plan and also Vice President of the YouthBridge-NY Board of Directors. Spending time with Ms. Abboa-Offei allowed me to learn more about her, to understand more about myself, and to see more about diversity in the workplace.

Diversity to me goes beyond having an Asian, Hispanic, black, and white person sitting at the same table; it is what they bring to one another that matters. Each individual is a work of his or her own, they have their own experiences, languages, friendships, hobbies, and cultures. The different ways of thinking are only made up of such aspects of their lives.

Ms. Abboa-Offei told me that she liked Affinity because it allowed her to try something new. Acceptance and opportunities provided her steps to becoming an executive. With great pride she calls herself a woman of color, and to me that means a lot because I am also a woman of color.

At Affinity, I found that I am valued the minute I walked into work, and I concluded that my co-workers do not judge me, nor assume I am a certain way because of my hair or color. On the contrary, they are eager to hear a "good morning" from me, Buenos Dias, in my own language.

Lately, more fast food restaurants have been popping up in East Harlem, leaving residents with fewer choices to eat healthy than in other communities in New York City. Statistics have shown that people are increasingly overweight in this area due to a lack of fresh produce in their neighborhood. Therefore, Mount Sinai Medical Center has joined efforts with Greenmarket farmers to provide East Harlem residents with healthier food options and to increase their focus on their health.

From July to November of each year, Mount Sinai conducts free health screenings to those concerned with their health. People can go to the Greenmarket to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as to partake in diabetes and hypertension screenings. Mount Sinai's mission is centered on health promotion and disease prevention; thus, by going beyond the doors of the hospital and into the Harlem community, Mount Sinai staff members can educate and inform the public about their health.

“It is important that healthcare start from the home, rather than the hospital, to prevent illness and future health problems,” said Dr. Mari Umpierre, Ph.D., program coordinator of the Greenmarket health screenings. “ Mount Sinai acts as a bridge between the hospital and the community to provide access to those in need of health care.” Dr. Umpierre, 47, is passionate about bringing free health care services to uninsured people who may not be able to afford medical expenses. “The possibility to reach someone without health insurance is gratifying and extremely rewarding.”

As a summer intern in the Department of Community Relations at Mount Sinai , I am pleased to say that the Greenmarket health screening provided an experience I will never forget. Each Friday, I assisted in setting up the area of the health screenings and distributing information pamphlets. I also handled the registration process and had the opportunity to interact with diverse people as they filled out paperwork. My favorite aspect of the Greenmarket screenings was meeting new people, whether they were doctors, nurses, or East Harlem residents. This internship has taught me to be outgoing and to build connections and to form lasting relationships with others. I have learned so much over the last month from my interaction with different people and from the advice of my supervisor, Dr. Barbara Brenner. This internship has been amazing in so many ways, and I will cherish it forever.

Health Plus' Diversity Council is one of the most innovative ideas that has been created at Health Plus, a non-profit health care concern. One goal of the Diversity Council is to create a culturally competent company where everyone can feel comfortable.

Keith Brauer, the Vice President of Human Resources, believes that the best way to move the company forward is to ensure that the company employs people of racially diverse backgrounds, much like that served by the community. Then, Health Plus can better represent and target issues of those it is trying to serve, often the uninsured.

In addition, Health Plus believes that the best way to provide quality service to its members is by addressing the internal issues of the staff as they representa microcosm of the "outside world.". The Council, he said, established its definition of diversity as one that “encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and it recognizes our individual differences….It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each other.”

The 36 members of the Council believe that it is essential to establish a definition of the word “diversity” because the word can mean different things to various people, Mr. Brauer said in an interview. Establishing a definition allows the Council to move on and address other issues in the company and to produce more ideas on how the company can improve.

A common issue in the company and throughout the world is tolerance and understanding of other individuals' cultures and ethnic backgrounds. The Council's participants consist of representatives of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, job titles, and departments to ensure the representation of the company as a whole.

Barry Volin, chief operations officer, meanwhile believes that every staff member is an expert at his or her job, which makes each individual an important contributor to the company. He believes that they are the ones that can really voice what the company is “doing right, what [the company is] doing wrong, and what the company can do better.”

Although the Council has a number of ideas on how to improve Health Plus, the Council's first step will be to announce its existence to its staff. In order to do this, the Council published its first newsletter in August 2007, sharing advice about handling issues that arise due to different people's backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. The establishment of this Council is important to both the staff and the company, because it provides a place where people can be open about their opinions and suggest ideas that would contribute to Health Plus' service to the community as a whole.

Sevitre Jackson works in the Human Resource Department of Continuum Health Partners. She is still new to her position, as she began working at Continuum in May 2007. Sevitre is currently working on the audits of those who work with or are associated with Continuum Health Partners' six hospitals. These hospitals include: Beth Israel Petrie, Beth Israel-Kings Highway , St. Luke's Hospital, Roosevelt Hospital , Long Island College Hospital and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

My overall experience working with Sevitre and other individuals at Continuum Health Partners was great. Sevitre and her fellow peers shared many laughs together and always tried to alleviate the tension that often comes along with working. I shared funny experiences from my life as a junior in high school and talked about my own personal experiences. Although the group of people with whom I worked are not in my age group, I learned that you can make a friend out of almost everybody if you give it a try. In addition, making new friends allows one to have a more comfortable workspace. Becoming friends with people that one works with also allows for networking to take place, a crucial element of the working world. Now, I understand more about how to climb the corporate ladder with more support. I learned that, even as a teenager, and as a first-time intern, I could engage adults in conversation and learn from their experiences at their jobs.