BY SPENCER WITT
Staff Writer

Most high school students get a summer job as a lifeguard for the local pool or ice cream stand, but senior Dipesh Timsina had an internship with FedEx.

“I got the opportunity to build education skills and to get a job in the summer,” Timsina said.

Born in Nepal, Timsina earned his internship through the Refugee Youth Employment program, an organization that gives refugees at the high school the skills to secure a good summer job. The program also sends the students to job fairs and interviews for post-secondary schools.

This year, 32 juniors and seniors are part of the program. The seniors, who have already worked their internships this past summer, help mentor the juniors. The program then recommends students to an internship based on their academic and personal references.

The program is run by Jewish Family Services and Junior Achievement. Each year they send students from all across the state to corporate internships based on their recommendations. These companies include UPMC, PNC Bank, Fedex, and Xerox among others.

Bishnu Timsina, no relation to Dipesh, has been working for Jewish Family Services since she came to America from Bhutan five years ago. She said the program helps many students in their transition to America.

“Through this program we really help students get them through the new environment. It’s like a source,” Timsina said.

The group, which meets on Mondays and Thursdays after school in the library, works on core skills needed in the workforce, such as teamwork and communication. The program focuses on seven characteristics for career success.

Junior Dasharath Phuyel, who moved to America from Nepal in 2008, is in his first year with the program. He heard about it through Junior Achievement, and like all the students in the program, is working to develop skills for the future.

The program reaches out to students originally from countries all around the world, creating a diverse atmosphere.