This summer, eight students from George Washington High School, one of the city’s 17 Community Schools, participated in Gap Inc.’s This Way Ahead (TWA), a life skills and on-the-job training program for opportunity youth.
“This Way Ahead came to us through our partnership with YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School and JEVS [Human Services]. The opportunity included job coaching, soft skills workshops, networking, and a $10-an-hour wage, so we jumped on it,” said Caitlyn Boyle, Community School coordinator at George Washington High School. “It almost felt too good to be true – but that’s exactly what our students got, and we’re thrilled with the whole experience.”
Read on to learn more about what This Way Ahead interns including Corrine, Keziah, Rohan learned this summer!
“I loved it. This was my first job and it was a good experience,” said Rohan who worked at Old Navy at Franklin Mills this summer. “My favorite memories were helping customers. They don’t know our stores as well as we do. Helping them out with the smallest questions like where is the fitting room is a big deal.”
Rohan, who is entering into his senior year, heard about this opportunity from his math teacher.
“My teacher came up to me and said, ‘You’re a nice kid, you should go check this out – it’s a job opportunity,’” said Rohan. “I went and met Caitlyn and she told me all about the program – how the interview was going to work, how they’d teach me about retail. It was a big step for me and it worked out.”
Last year Rohan took business classes at George Washington High School and plans to take more this year. He said this internship inspired his plans for after graduation.
“I want to start my own company,” said Rohan. “And it has to be a clothing store.”
Keziah worked with Rohan at Old Navy at Franklin Mills. Keziah is also entering into her senior.
“I recently came to America [from the United Arab Emirates], so everything was new to me. I spoke to Caitlyn and she helped me get my work permit.”
“I took two jobs this summer. Both count as my first.” Keziah also interned at an IT company.
“Caitlyn helped me get both of my jobs. She gave me all the information I needed, and helped me through the whole procedure,” said Keziah.
For the This Way Ahead closing ceremony Keziah wore her favorite Old Navy denim jacket.
“I got this jacket six years ago. I had never been to an Old Navy. My sister bought it and told me it was affordable and good quality,” said Keziah. “I was excited to work with the company.”
“My manager always appreciates me for my efforts and all my colleagues provide me with a comfortable and safe environment. I have been able to learn about the shipping process and about how Old Navy continuously updates their stores, keeping up with all the trends,” said Keziah.
Corrine, who like Keziah and Rohan is also a entering into her senior year, was the first George Washington High School student from the school to sign up for This Way Ahead.
“My managers are always willing to teach me something. If I forget how to do something, they don’t get upset or talk down to me saying that I should know how to do it already. They take time to make sure that I know things. If I want to learn something, they make sure that it happens as soon as possible,” said Corrine.
At the end of the internship, Gap. Inc offered all eight George Washington High School students employment opportunities at Gap Inc. stores. Corrine, Keziah, and Rohan will continue in part-time roles during the school year!
“This opportunity is a paid pipeline into the workforce and that is of the highest benefit to our students,” said Caitlyn Boyle, Community School Coordinator at George Washington High School.” YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, JEVS, and the store managers at Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic were excellent partners and treated our students with respect while holding a high bar. Our students learned a lot, but they also added a lot of value to the daily operations at their stores.”
“We’re thrilled that students from George Washington High School in Philadelphia participated in This Way Ahead furthering our commitment to creating real impact in the communities we serve,” said Abby Davisson, a senior director at Gap Foundation. “At Gap Inc., we believe in the universal power of a first job and want to equip teenagers and young adults with the resources they need to succeed in both work and life.”
Congratulations to all students who completed This Way Ahead internships this summer, and thank you to the Gap. Inc team and our Community Schools partner JEVS for making this opportunity possible!
