Golden Apple: Pequot Lakes High Uses Local Businesses to Create Internship Program

Reagan Wurtzberger, a senior at Pequot Lakes High School, has worked on cars for several years, but it wasn’t until recently that he realized it was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“Since I was like 14 years old, I started working on my dad’s and my mom’s vehicles, and then once I got my own, I worked on that,” he said. “And then I really realized that I do enjoy it. Once I talked to [Tech Ed teacher] Dan [Skaaland] and met everyone here, I was 100% sure I really wanted to be here.”

Wurtzberger is a part of the Pequot Lakes High School Internship Program, which aims to help students earn professional experience before they earn their diplomas.

“The goal of the program is, we talk about pathways and careers, and we want kids to know, get out into the real world, and see what they want to pursue after high school,” explained Joanna O’Neil, Pequot Lakes High School Internship Coordinator. “Our goal is for kids to find out what they don’t want to do after high school and apply the skills that they’re learning in the classroom in an environment that they can see what they’re learning matters.”

According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey, four in five hiring managers believe that most high school students are not prepared to enter the workforce. This program is trying to change that by connecting students to local businesses and their areas of interest.

“Marketing always kind of drew to me,” said Kylie Spohn, a senior in the internship program. “It’s kind of light, I kind of like doing it. I run a social media page for our school, so kind of getting into that, it expanded into this and I do enjoy it. So I just, I came here kind of looking to figure out what I wanted to do with my future and see if this would help me kind of find it.”

The program isn’t just giving the students work experience—they’re also gaining real-world experience that will help them once they graduate.

“I don’t care if you hang sheetrock, I don’t care if you clean houses, I don’t care what you do,” said Chris Cullen, Associate Broker at Chris Cullen Real Estate Group. “There is so much opportunity out in the world and kids need to understand that. It’s not about your grades—grades don’t make you successful. And for me, when I graduated, I was, you know, maybe Cs and Bs, flirting with some of the Bs, mostly Cs, and and I’m getting an A in life, and that’s what it’s all about is showing up, working hard, and doing your best.”

The internship program at Pequot Lakes High School started with 48 students in 2023 and has grown to include 82 this school year. The district hopes to increase the amount of students in the program by 20% every year to get more students prepared for the future.