Naomi Kyei-Asare is a senior in Urban Alliance’s Montgomery County Internship Program at Paint Branch High School in Maryland.
Naomi’s internship is with the Communications Office at Urban Alliance’s headquarters in Washington, DC. During her internship, she works closely with the Director of Communications and the Senior Associate of Communications and Advocacy.
“I hope to grow my experience in the professional world, improve my digital literacy skills and work on projects where I can build on my creative expertise,” said Naomi. “I want to be able to push myself to new heights and enrich my potential with each meeting and the professional development workshops,” she said.
Naomi first became interested in Urban Alliance through a fellow classmate who was also an intern. After learning about the High School Internship Program (HSIP) she saw how dedicated the organization is to introduce young adults, especially communities of color to the professional
world.
With many different career opportunities Naomi was compelled to apply. “When I first got accepted into the program, I was very excited about what would become an enriching opportunity, even though I was not sure what to expect,” she said.
Now after having completed the 6-week pre-work in preparation for her paid internship, being actively involved in her work assignments, and the professional development workshops, Naomi considers herself privileged for what is an amazing experience for young people.
Pre-work is a series of intensive and in-person training and skills building sessions where all interns must attend.
“This is where we get the foundation of Urban Alliance, its mission and core values, and about how HSIP works. We learn all of this while getting professionally prepared to join the workforce as a paid intern.”
From discussing work values, to in office socialization, work attire and efficient communication Naomi gets to see first hand what it means to successfully integrate into the professional workforce.
Naomi’s work in the Communications Department is a new and exciting experience for her. She actively participates in writing and proofreading articles, social media content, and attending brand planning meetings.
She is familiar with some of the communications processes because she is also the Co-editor in Chief for Mainstream, her school newspaper.
Along with running the school newspaper, Naomi aspires to work in the fashion industry. To pursue this interest, she is enrolled in an AP Art class. She prides herself in using different mediums in her artwork and fashion designs to highlight self-expression and identity.
“It feels great to be part of a team where your opinion matters, and your voice is heard and valued in addition to having a lot of creative expression.”
As she continues on with the internship, Naomi will soon graduate from Paint Branch High School and plans to pursue a creative career in the fashion and modeling industry.
Naomi is grateful for all the opportunities Urban Alliance has allowed her to explore so far. In her words,” She looks forward to her bright future with Urban Alliance.”