With the end of the school semester around the corner, students at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) are wrapping up their internship program.
Sebastian Rubio, a Clovis East High School senior and CART student, is one of two interns at the Clovis Roundup. He concluded his five-and-a-half week internship at the paper with a presentation about his experience on May 17.
“I learned a lot about deadlines and how to work to get things done,” Rubio told his classmates during his presentation. “I also learned that most things you do in life are going to be a team effort.”
During his internship, Rubio helped manage the social media presence of the newspaper, posting pictures and promotional giveaways. He also attended events with the staff and took pictures and video of various sites in Clovis.
Rubio said he learned from his mentors at the newspaper, Donna Melchor, the owner and publisher of the Clovis Roundup, and Billy Xiong, the production and operations manager.
“I very much enjoyed working with Sebastian and Eli,” Melchor said. “They were both very professional and ready to take on any task we gave them. I especially appreciated their feedback on the paper and what they found interesting and significant.”
Xiong said the opportunity to work with the interns and the CART program was amazing. He added that both interns were talented and capable.
“They take initiative and are very eager to learn. Throughout the internship, I got to know their goals and their aspirations,” Xiong said. “I’ve truly enjoyed my time working with Sebastian and Elijah; they definitely have a great mindset on life and have a bright future. I have faith when they leave, they can take away part of what they experienced here and apply it to themselves in their endeavors.”
The first step in the internship program was the interview process. Representatives from various local business had the opportunity to interview the participating students to find the best matched candidates.
“We did like a little speed dating thing,” Rubio said. “It was about five minutes per table and there were like seven or eight companies per table. I think Donna was like, ‘I really like this kid.’ So she hired me.”
Rubio is graduating from Clovis East this spring and plans to attend Sonoma State University in the fall. He said he is registered as a computer engineering major but is considering changing his major after finishing a zoology class this year.
The Clovis Roundup’s other intern is Elijah Leonard, a junior at Clovis North High School. Leonard concluded his internship on May 28.