"Hard work always pays off," said Carmen Castro, Executive Managing Director of First Republic Bank in San Francisco, as she spoke with Gateway students during a recent Pizza & Possibilities series. Pizza & Possibilities is one of the many career awareness activities that Gateway offers to its students.
For many hard working and deserving Gateway students, the resources they need to make their future dreams a reality are simply not available anywhere but at school. One of the most persistent issues facing academically disadvantaged students in public schools is the opportunity gap: the differences between the types of academic and enrichment opportunities afforded to low income students compared with their more privileged peers.
Through programs like Pizza & Possibilities and our internship program, Gateway aims to close this gap by providing students with the skills and information they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.
They also provide students with access to professional role models, mentors, and workplace experiences that help students form positive future visions of themselves and ambitious college and career aspirations.
"Gateway's career programs make a true difference in the lives of students," said Greg Grossman, Gateway's Internship Coordinator and Humanities Teacher. "They provide an insight into what opportunities exist and show students' that their dreams can become a reality."
Through Gateway's internship program, Sara Mesgun, Class of 2015, has been interning with Remind.com and is planning a hackathon for teens in the city from beginning to end. While Sara is unsure of what she wants to do for a career, she asserts that Gateway helped inspire her interest in engineering and alternative energy.
According to Sara, if it wasn't for Gateway's internship program she would have never known about all of the opportunities that are available to her and that she is capable of great things. "Interning at Remind.com has given me exposure to so many different things and has boosted my confidence when it comes to achieving my career goals," said Sara.
A guide to summer internships, work, and other opportunities, as well as information about volunteering for Pizza & Possibilities, can be found on Gateway's website. Get involved! The commitment is limited, and you have the ability to truly change a child's life.
Pictured above: Students share a laugh during a recent Pizza & Possibilities series.