The internship program has been a part of the school for over 20 years and exemplifies Commack’s ability to guide students into their dream occupations through 14 internship offerings. 

“If a student wants to do an internship but is not sure which internship they are interested in, I give the students a list of the internships we have, and we have a brief description of each internship. An internship is considered an elective here at the High school, so sometimes students have to give up something to take an elective,” said the head of the internship and Wilson Tech program, Diane Nelson.

There are internships during the day, after school, and even on weekends at the Long Island Aquarium. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in internships during 11th and 12th grade. 

“When choosing an internship, I recommend weighing the pros and cons of all of their choices. It’s an amazing program, but having so many options can be overwhelming. As cliche as it sounds, I went with my gut instinct when I chose the education internship, and I love it,” said senior Kaitlin S.

Some students are unsure if they should participate in internships now or wait until college.

“It’s helpful to do an internship in high school rather than college. Often students think they want to study something in college, but if you do it in high school, you decide this is not what you want to do earlier than later,” said Nelson. 

The internships are two periods daily where the students take the bus to their desired internship. 

“I participate in the elementary school internship. I think this will help me when I become a teacher because I have experience with children’s behavior and class curriculum. I have learned that each student has different learning styles and that as a teacher, I would need to adjust to that,” said senior Abbey S.

Many students enjoy the elementary school internship program because of the children they get to see every day.

“Internships not only look amazing on college applications and resumes, but they give you knowledge and experience that will benefit you later on in life. My teacher at my internship once told me that student teaching and interning in the field taught her much more than any lecture hall did,” said Kaitlin S.

Getting hands-on experience is something that really makes an intern learn about their future career because it will never be the same on paper.

“​​I am doing a physical therapy internship. This internship is great because it gives me the reassurance that this is the profession I would like to pursue. It’s also a great way to get the clinical hours necessary to proceed in various college programs. I would suggest this internship because it shows you the real deal. There’s no way I would’ve had the same insight as I do now if I just relied on a textbook. Things in real life are incredibly different,” said senior Mandi P.

Participating in the internship program brings students one step closer to their dreams. 

“This small little internship that you do at the High School level would lead you to the next bigger internship in college,” said Nelson.◼️