Many classes are available for seniors to take during their last year. I realized this last year when signing up for them during my junior year. I wanted to take classes that could help me do what I wanted to do after school. So, I signed up for  Worked Based Learning through the Kokomo Area Career Center.. During that time I did not realize that this “class” would really help me learn many things I never knew before and also prepare me for my future plans.

During the first day of school two other Kokomo students and I who were going to be involved with work based learning sat down with our teacher. He informed us that we would be working at local businesses in Kokomo and we could be getting paid for it.  Hearing him say we could get paid for being able to work for a class while also gaining a lot of great experience had me very excited. He then informed us where we would be placed for the next semester. The two other Kokomo students were told where they were going to be put first. The first one was told he was going to be placed at the nonprofit business, Bona Vista, and the girl was informed she was being placed at Coca-Cola, right outside of downtown Kokomo. I was now up; I was told I was being placed at H.E McGonigal, a car dealership that I have really never heard of before. After being told where I would be working, I began to study up for my first day on the job. I looked up all of their department heads and supervisors; I also tried to learn as much as I could on what they do besides selling cars.

The next day would be my first day being an intern for them. As soon as I showed up, they told me my hours each day would be from 12:15-2:15 and that sounded great to me. Then I was introduced to each department and the department head I would be working for. I would be working with sales, service, parts, and accounting departments for two weeks straight and then switch to the next one.

After my first day I was very eager to learn a lot from this amazing business. Everytime I came in over the past semester I was always learning something new or given a project to finish. I was given a lot of responsibility and it was a great feeling when I would finish a task that I was assigned. If a junior were to ask me if he should try it out, I would definitely tell him to go for it and he’ll will never regret it. This semester working with them flew by and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity and experience I was given.