Summer is a chance to relax, rejuvenate, and take time off from the busy routines that come with school life. Some Oxford students take this time to explore their passions and immerse themselves in potential career pathways. From caretaking dogs to shadowing surgeries, learn how four students dove into career exploration this summer.
Muqadas Omid, Kindset
Sophomore Muqadas Omid worked with Kindset, a student-run company built through the Anaheim Innovative Mentoring Ship (AIME) experience that combines spreading kindness and building entrepreneurship skills.
As a team member, Omid worked in group-building activities, collaborated in creating products and programs that center around kindness — such as “Cooking With Kindset” — and explored the business field.
“[Kindset] teaches you a lot about business. It also gives you time to work on a product that you’re going to make, and it gives you the foundation to create your own product outside of school if you want to do that or start your own business,” Omid said.
Sora Suzuki, Dog Den
Also through a junior-specific AIME program, senior Sora Suzuki interned at Dog Den, a pet daycare and grooming facility.
During the internship, Suzuki cared for pets at the shelter. He also had a chance to conduct a career conversation with a veterinary non-anesthetic dentist, which prompted him to learn more about the veterinary field.
“[Looking for an internship] is really straightforward. A lot of you guys, especially at Oxford, have the capability to do stuff just as long as you stay true to yourself,” Suzuki said.
Salena Adhikari, Extern at ADP
Senior Salena Adhikari spent her summer in an externship — a temporary training program in a workplace — at Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), a management services company.
Through in-person and online assignments, as well as a mentorship, Adhikari delved into the world of management services and gained insight about the employees’ path to working at ADP.
“A lot of people will go into an office setting when they’re older, so I think that this was very good to see. An office setting is not always boring either…people always have something else to do every day, something new,” Adhikari said.
Diya Luthra, Mi4 Program
Combining medical innovation and hands-on experience, senior Diya Luthra spent her summer at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute’s summer internship program, working on projects tackling medical challenges.
“My favorite [challenge] was when we were addressing the problem of making sure that all vaccines are equal, because a big focus of our internship is on the JEDI principles — justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” Luthra said.
Through her experience in this summer internship, Luthra was able to further her knowledge of different departments, gain experience in both clinic and hospital settings, and learn about advanced technologies used to further medical innovation.
Career opportunities can be enlightening for students exploring their passions and learning more about what they would like to pursue in the future. These four students had the chance to build their knowledge and understanding of pathways through hands-on experience.
