This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
For many Philadelphia Youth Network interns, some of their most valuable experiences involve not only the skills and work habits they learn, but also the people they meet. They might be valuable contacts for the future or perhaps examples of what it takes to succeed in today’s workplace environment.
For Manas Narula, who interned at PYN, one of the high points of the summer was the chance to meet the agency’s CEO, Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend.
“She spoke about how she got where she is,” recalled Narula, 16, a rising junior at Masterman High School. “It really gave me a good insight into her work ethic.”
Narula, who lives in Fairmount, said he came to the internship expecting a 9-5 office job, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was much more than that. Assigned to work in communications and outreach, he sent emails to work sites and collected TV clips about the agency.
He particularly enjoyed working with other interns on a youth fair to help teens learn about the world of work.
“I definitely felt that what I was doing was valuable and important,” he said.
Narula said he hopes to attend the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to study business and management after he graduates. He isn’t sure what area he’ll eventually want to work in, but feels that the summer gave him some tools that will be valuable anywhere.
“It really gave me insight into the world of work behind the scenes,” he said.