For the fourth consecutive year, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is partnering with the Technology Association of Georgia Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) to host high school interns in their labs and research facilities.

GTRI is hosting 30 high school interns for a five-week period, 20 to 30 hours per week, between June and August.

“It opens their eyes to the possibilities of what they can do in STEM,” said Program Coordinator Stephen Balakirsky.

The TAG-Ed Summer Internship Program provides real-world experience for high-achieving students with strong STEM aptitude.

“They take the experience they have in working hard and really getting things done rapidly and meld that into good process planning as to how they are going to accomplish all of their goals,” said Balakirsky.

“It really is rewarding to see these kids come in and see all the excitement when they first receive their project. As they start to accomplish things, to see them succeed, it’s a really good feeling knowing you’re a part of that,” he continued.

Not only does the program host high school interns, but also Georgia Tech undergraduate students, who serve as mentors in the program.

Rising Georgia Tech Senior Marites Hendrix has gone through the program as both an intern and mentor.

She says the experience gained as a student is invaluable.

“I learned a lot from the program. I impressed a lot of the people at the career fair the following year, as a first year going to Tech, telling them I know Linux and ROS,” said Hendrix.

Mentors get a firsthand look at the next generation of employees. By doing so, mentors help interns gain experience to pursue a career in a STEM field, and ultimately help bridge the gap in Georgia’s STEM workforce.

Hendrix says mentoring an intern makes a huge impact.

“Being a mentor was a really rewarding experience. I love the fact I was able to give back all the things I learned the previous summer. You see through other people, they’re going to have a wonderful future because of this,” said Hendrix.

TAG-Ed places high school students in Georgia companies who are interested in investing in STEM talent and growing the future technology workforce. More than 650 students have been placed in paid STEM internships in Georgia.