In the fall of 2024, principal Cindy Davis gathered a group of interested educators to help plan, develop, and design the Ignatian Discernment Experience in Action (IDEA) Internship Program. Adults Bill Baerg, Angelica Calcote, Mary Jean Fischer, Jeanne Hanigan, CW Herchold, Amy Savage, Annie Senner, and Tawanna Wilson served as mentors to the prospective student interns.
Counselor Rachel Ford led the charge and explained, “The pilot offers students a unique opportunity to explore career interests, reflect on real-world experiences, and engage in meaningful vocational discernment.”
Bellarmine reached out to existing business partners and community members who in turn allowed internship opportunities in construction, medicine, engineering, architecture, law, to name a few fields.
Students applied in early January and then were paired with their organizations and companies. They were able to complete their job placement hours starting in mid-May after AP exams and league play in sports.
The students participating in the pilot program this year included: Aubrianna Aquino, Blake Burke, Riley Conklin, Isadora Cool, William Embick, Ayson Ganitano, Sofia Hamilton, Oliver Hipolito, Maggie Kranick, Kaitlyn Le, Carter Milliren, Ari Nguyen, Seyong Park, Anna Shimshock, Addie Kelly, Hailey Yeam, and Christoph Ivanov.
All of the students shared a reflection about their internship experiences and then presented on June 10 at various times their thoughts.
Junior Ari Nguyen recapped her experience at Tacoma Pediatric Dentistry in the following excerpt:
“A moment that I’ll remember is the surgery day when we had five different surgeries in one day … I got to meet an anesthesiologist who showed and explained to me the use of anesthesia in dentistry as well as in the other medical fields.
This [internship experience] confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in the healthcare or medical field. Even during the procedures that I thought might be overwhelming, I was genuinely curious and excited to learn more. I think it showed me that I could see myself in this field long-term and gave me confidence that I’m headed in the right direction.
This experience really connected to Bellarmine’s values of striving for excellence while being a person for others. After talking to the dentists and doctors there, I learned that it takes years of hard work and persistence to get there. The major itself is challenging and it requires a strong commitment to develop the skills needed. At the same time, it also reminded me that healthcare isn’t just about science, but it’s also about compassion. It’s about putting someone else’s needs before your own and doing your best to make them feel safe and cared for.
After this internship, I’m excited to explore other branches of healthcare beyond dentistry. I would love to get involved in maybe working or volunteering at hospitals or private labs so I can get a broader understanding of what different roles look like so I can figure out where I might fit best.
The advice I would give to future interns is don’t be nervous. I was pretty nervous when I first started because I was worried about saying the wrong thing or not knowing enough. But I realized that the people there don’t really mind if you make mistakes because they know that you’re still learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions because some of the best insights I got came from conversations that started with simple questions.”
