From sports marketing and healthcare to manufacturing, law, nonprofits, government, and digital media, 23 Cherokee County students spent their summer gaining real-world experience while helping local businesses and organizations thrive.
The Cherokee Summer Internship Program once again connected local high school students with meaningful career opportunities across the community, giving students paid, hands-on experience while helping employers build their future workforce pipeline.
Made possible through a partnership between the Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED), the Cherokee County School District (CCSD), and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, the program successfully matched 23 students from all six CCSD high schools and one local private Christian school with 14 businesses and organizations throughout the county, creating opportunities to explore careers, develop professional skills, and build valuable relationships with local employers.
A Summer of Career Exploration
One of the greatest strengths of the Summer Internship Program is the diversity of opportunities available to students.
This year’s interns gained experience across a wide range of industries, including:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Sports marketing and video production
- Healthcare and clinical operations
- Social media marketing and public relations
- Government administration
- Nonprofit outreach and community engagement
- Legal and public service careers
- Human resources and records management
Whether a student’s interests were in medicine, marketing, law, communications, technology, or public service, the program offered opportunities to explore potential career paths while developing practical workplace skills.
Student Success Story: From the Sidelines to a Career Path
For Sarah Brown, a marketing intern with the Georgia Impact women’s soccer team, the internship provided an immersive look at sports marketing and content creation.
Brown helped create social media content, filmed practices and games, and produced recap videos for the organization. Her work impressed leadership, with Head Coach Robert Roddie noting that the quality of her videos was comparable to professional expectations and that content was often edited and uploaded the same day.
“Typically by the time we get in the car after practice, she has it uploaded. She’s been excellent,” Roddie said.
For Brown, the experience reinforced her career goals.
“It changed my life because it lets you see what it’s like to work with a team and how to collaborate and be creative and work with others.”
The internship also helped her gain confidence in communications, time management, and content production – skills that she’ll carry into a future career in broadcasting and technical directing.
Real-World Experience That Makes a Difference
Students consistently reported that the internship experience exceeded their expectations.
At Prestige Medical Group, clinical operations interns gained exposure to patient care, office operations, and medical testing procedures. One intern shared that she learned how strep and hemoglobin tests are performed while gaining insight into the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a medical office running smoothly. The experience helped confirm her desire to pursue a future in pediatric nursing.
At the Cherokee County Solicitor-General’s Office, intern Cally Musser was able to observe court proceedings several times each week, gaining firsthand knowledge of the justice system and public service careers.
“It has definitely exceeded my expectations,” Musser said. “I’m going into court at least two to three times a week, which has been really exciting.”
Meanwhile, the students working in marketing, nonprofit outreach, and social media at Literacy Futures CO-LAB gained experience with professional networking, graphic design, content strategy, research, and community engagement.
Employers See the Benefits, Too
While students gain career exposure and workplace skills, employers often discover that internship programs create value for their organizations as well.
Many employers entered the program unsure of what to expect from a high school intern, only to discover students who were eager to learn, dependable, and ready to contribute. As Sara Grainger, Senior Assistant Solicitor-General, noted, “I think you would be very surprised at how punctual and polite and professional a high schooler can be.”
Employers across multiple industries praised interns for their professionalism, reliability, and enthusiasm.
At the Cherokee County Government offices, Human Resources Manager Meli Neal said she was impressed by her intern’s attention to detail and maturity.
“I haven’t caught one thing that she’s done wrong.”
Making It Easy for Employers to Participate
A key factor in the program’s success is the support provided throughout the process. Employers are guided through recruitment, interviews, onboarding, and student matching, making participation simple and manageable for organizations of all sizes.
For Literacy Futures CO-LAB founder Angela O’Brien-Scheidt, the process was straightforward from start to finish.
“The process was straightforward, and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development provided all the resources I needed to get started. Everything was seamless from start to finish.”
Scheidt said she was matched with two students who quickly became valuable contributors to her organization.
“You’re really going to get more out of it than you thought you were,” she said. “You’re helping them move along in their career path, but you’re also going to gain so much valuable experience, ideas, and energy.”
The internship program is designed to minimize the administrative burden on employers while maximizing the benefits. From helping identify qualified candidates to facilitating connections with local high school students, the program makes it easier for businesses to invest in future talent without navigating the process alone.
Building Cherokee County’s Future Workforce
Programs like the Summer Internship Program are an important part of Cherokee County’s workforce development strategy.
By partnering with CCSD, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and local employers, the Cherokee Summer Internship Program helps bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that local students can discover rewarding career opportunities close to home while local employers build connections with emerging talent.
These internships don’t just help students prepare for future careers – they help local businesses identify future employees, strengthen community connections, and invest in the next generation of Cherokee County leaders.
Become a Host Employer Next Summer
Cherokee County employers play a critical role in preparing the workforce of tomorrow, and participating in the Cherokee Summer Internship Program is easier than many businesses realize.
Whether your organization is in healthcare, manufacturing, technology, marketing, engineering, public service, education, finance, skilled trades, or another industry, the program team works alongside employers to help identify qualified students who align with your organization’s needs and goals. Businesses receive support throughout the process – from student matching and interviews to onboarding and internship coordination.
Students consistently bring enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and a willingness to learn, while employers gain meaningful assistance on projects and an opportunity to build relationships with future talent.
If you’re interested in helping shape the next generation of Cherokee County professionals while strengthening your own talent pipeline, we encourage you to participate in next year’s Cherokee Summer Internship Program. Reach out to COED’s Workforce Programs Manager, Amy Leatherman, at aleatherman@cherokeega.org or visit cherokeega.org/internship for more information.
