Page 3 - Fort Irwin High Desert Warrior October 2023

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High Desert Warrior 3 October 2023
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From INTERNS, Page 1
Jadelynn Camarena, a recent Silver Valley High School graduate and current Barstow Community College student, files paperwork for Fort Irwin’s mass transportation program as part of the summer Pathways Internship Program on Fort Irwin, California, Aug. 16, 2023.
Sometimes interns are placed in jobs that are dif- ferent than their career or education path, but that’s not a bad thing according to Leaha Alvarez, a Barstow High School graduate and current Barstow Commu- nity College student.
Alvarez is currently studying English on path to be a teacher and worked with the 916th Support Brigade budgeting office this year and the National Training Center G6 last year, she said.
“There are so many more options in that same career choice that you have, and this plethora of skills are given to you, and you can take advantage of those and apply those in ways you wouldn’t even know,” she said. “You can go into a school district and be an IT lead [and] that’s something you can learn here at G6.”
Several interns, including Alvarez, participated in the
program in previous years. “To me, that’s a testa- ment to how positive the program is because they keep
coming back,” Garcia said. Jadelynn Camarena, a recent Silver Valley High School graduate and current Barstow Community Col- lege student, participated in the program for the first time this year and worked in the NTC G8 office assisting with the mass transportation
program.
“At first I was really ner-
vous because this was my first official government job and I was with a brand new team... so, I had the first day jitters,” Camarena said. “After I got to know every- one, everything has been so positive [and] I love working with them.”
The part-time hours of internship provided a flex- ible schedule for interns to work and continue to pursue education goals.
“Because I only work 32
hours a week, I organized my schedule to dedicate Friday through Sunday to school- work,” Camarena said.
For Alvarez, the intern- ship gave her the opportu- nity to improve her organi- zational and time manage- ment skills.
“Out here, I’ve got to try my best, I’ve got to do it to the best of my ability and that’s what I’m going to do 100% of the time,” she said. “Now that I’m doing that all the time, it’s helping me apply that to my school [work].”
Camarena said she ini- tially applied to gain work experience and save up mon- ey, but learning about the benefits of government work has given her more options for the future.
“Working here, I think I’m leaning a little more toward working for the gov- ernment especially because they have a bunch of ben- efits,” she said.
“This is a really good introduction to government work, and I would suggest this for any straight out of high school graduate.”
Alvarez said she already recommended the program to other students.
“There are a lot of differ- ent puzzle pieces that fit into the government, and you may be one of those puzzle pieces or you may not,” Al- varez said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a fit or not, it’s the experience that counts be- cause you’re going to learn a skill to take home with you at the end of the day.”
While many interns have a tie to Fort Irwin, it is not necessary to apply, but applicants should live in the local commute area, Garcia said.
The application window for the 2024 internship program will be in spring 2024 with jobs posted on USAjobs.gov.
Courtesy photo
Jadelynn Camarena (right), a recent Silver Valley High School graduate and current Barstow Community College student, speaks with fellow intern, Victor Anaya, Jr., while participating in Fort Irwin’s summer Pathways Internship Program on Fort Irwin, California, Aug. 31, 2023.
Courtesy photo
For more information go to home.army.mil/irwin