MLEC Interns Tackle Miami Dade College
Internships are often seen as a preview of the “real world.” You get dropped into a workplace, you figure out how things run, and you leave with a better sense of what your future might look like. That’s what Miami Dade College North Campus offered me and other students this summer: a chance to see how it feels to work in a professional environment before we even graduate high school.
This was my second year interning at MDC North. Both years were completely different, but were fulfilling in their own way. Last year, I focused on completing my work and assignments as quickly and neatly as possible. I treated the experience like a checklist. This year, I worked the same way, but I opened myself up more. I participated in activities and talked to more people. The interactions I had this year made the work feel more connected to the bigger picture.
A typical day at the campus was structured but flexible. I arrived at the Learning Resources Center, where I helped students find the tutoring services they needed. I acted as a receptionist, making sure students got to the right place. I took a lunch break, then returned to finish the day with my coworkers.
On the surface, it doesn’t sound like much. But that routine taught me patience, accountability, and how to interact with people who rely on you for guidance. These lessons do not come from textbooks. They come from showing up every day and doing the job.
“I would come to my department, work at the front desk and assist students and direct them to their advisors, take a lunch break, and then come back to my coworkers and work until the workday was done. It was a learning curve but I found how to appreciate it after a while. The internship was fun, fulfilling and rewarding,” said junior Robert Hurtadodemendo. He added that the only thing missing was more mentorship from people in his chosen field.
He started his mornings in the lab, checking in with his department secretary before working on research. Later, a mentor would guide him through programs he needed for his final project and presentation. His only suggestion was a clearer application process.
What ties these experiences together is the environment. MDC North is not just a college campus. For high school interns, it feels like a bridge between where we are now and where we want to be. The offices operate like any professional workplace. You are expected to be on time, communicate with supervisors, and complete tasks without excuses. At the same time, there are people ready to guide you, if you are willing to ask questions and put in effort.
“Coding and the basics of 3D modeling are much simpler than I believed them to be. I made so many great connections with my coworkers and my mentors. It helps with not going into the working field blind.” said senior Alex Ladeira.
Internships like this matter because they give students something classrooms cannot. They teach you how to manage your time. They force you to interact with people in real life situations. They show you skills that seem small, but are valuable in almost every workplace. They also expose you to weaknesses in the system. Both Robert and Alex pointed out where the program could improve. That feedback is important because it shows students are not just passively working, they are thinking about how to make the experience better for the next group.
The larger point is that the internships are not about the task themselves. Filing papers or researching programs might not sound thrilling, but those tasks are only part of the picture. The real value comes from what you take away from them. For me, the lesson was balance. For Robert it was learning how to use a tool he thought was too complicated. For Alex it was realizing that coding is more approachable than expected.
Working at MDC North campus reminded me that internships are not a one-size- fits all experience. They are shaped by how much you give, how much you act, and how much you are willing to learn. Each intern walks away with a different story, but the constant is growth. If you go in open minded, you leave prepared for more than you expected.
