McKenzii, Phoenix High School Class of 2021

"Excited about getting a gift card and a new hoodie from Recruit HIPPO!"

#success! MHS grads Mariia & Daryna completed their internships with Coos Health & Wellness : "Thank you for connecting us with CHW. We really wanted to gain some experience in a setting that relates to our chosen career path, and you gave us that opportunity! We are beyond grateful for the chance to work together with Recruit HIPPO to expand our boundaries in entirely new ways!"

"I loved my experience interning with the Port at the Charleston Marina. It gave me a sense of purpose, and I wasn't sitting at home all day. I liked the job and the people I worked with, and hope to work there in the future."

Meet: Madelyn, South Umpqua High School Class of 2020

“Freshman year I was a very introverted person and very shy, I wouldn’t speak to anyone unless I knew them. However, I was also the kind that was hard-working and wanted to go out to see what opportunity were out there. I did not really want to get stuck with the standard routine of going to school and then heading back home. The first time I heard about Recruit HIPPO was when I was in Mrs. Fye’s college recruitment class and she talkED about different alternatives other than college. That is when I came across Renee, the Youth Talent Advisor, who offered internship and job placement opportunities with the local businesses in the area. I agreed to meet with her as this program sparked my interest.

After talking with Renee, I was super comfortable opening up to her. We spoke about certain careers that I would be interested in such as becoming a diesel mechanic or a heavy equipment operator - pretty much all the male-dominated professions. I felt like the trade jobs are slowly losing their foothold with young people because no one really wants to work in these types of jobs. Therefore, I wanted to take advantage of these open opportunities! And it was something that I always wanted to do. So, Renee found me an internship at Tractor Supply. It was an agriculture-related job which was an environment where I could gain more knowledge. Previous summers I would be racking hay, bailing hay and it seemed like a great fit because it was all the things that I was interested in. Since age 16, I have worked in Burger King and A&W restaurants, which were more fast-paced, however; Tractor Supply was more laid back, and it was more rewarding because I was familiar with the different tools that were being sold. It allowed me to use my knowledge to help customers out. I was able to give customers advise and tips on certain projects, like gardening or keeping the pigs from escaping. I learned to catch on quickly and adapt to the dynamics of a slower paced job. Renee continued to assist me throughout the whole process by helping me build a professional resume. She helped me realize that

I had more skills than I thought I did. Renee has always been supportive of my future goals after graduating from High School.

After graduating, Renee referred me to Gaylene who is a Career Consultant with South Coast Business. She is currently helping me with obtaining employment at Roseburg Forest Products. I believe that I have a fighting spirit and determination to succeed in life. I am hopeful for the future, to become financially stable. I been working minimum wage jobs since the age of 16, it has been tough to save money and become independent. Living paycheck to paycheck has been tough and I really want to be in a position where I can have a decent house and have a nice vehicle. I just want to be happy with being able to live a comfortable life, I don’t have to be the richest person out there. I would like to be able to give back to others who truly need the help.

My family recently moved to Montana, so they are quite a ways away now. I am trying my best to make it here, I want to continue to develop my professional skills here in Oregon and one day be confident to say that if I could make it here, I can make it anywhere.

Meet: Anna, Oakland High School Class of 2020

"From freshman through junior year I struggled a lot in school. But Senior Year came around and I got my act together, I was able to get some better grades and at the time I was not happy with the job I was in, working at a fast-food company. It really was not my style, I wanted something more that could potentially lead to a career. I met Renee at a point in my life where I did not really know what I wanted to do. An announcement was posted on google classroom by a counselor about a Youth Talent Advisor who had an internship opening at Umpqua Dairy. I didn't tell anyone I was going to apply or meet Renee because I felt that I wanted to prove to my family I could do it on my own. Renee assisted me in submitting an application and a resume for the internship. After a couple of days Renee informed me that they had picked me to come for an interview. Umpqua Dairy choose me to fill in the intern position, I was excited about this opportunity because I felt like I had been guided in the right direction to be able to succeed in this new role. Which lead to a full-time paid position and learning other aspects of the dairy such as working in the lab. It was really fun to be able to apply the science learned in high school and understand how people utilize these skills in real life. Umpqua Dairy became a bright spot in my life, during a tough end to my senior year as many of those special and key moment such as prom or having a normal graduation were taken away because of the pandemic. However, I found the normalcy of having a job to go to was SUPER SUPER great! Being able to work at Umpqua Dairy at that time allowed me to have a purpose and work towards my goals. Renee has always been consistent and continues to check-in on me to see how I am doing. It was super helpful to have Umpqua Dairy and Renee for that positive support and being mindful of my situation as a high school student. Especially, being courteous to the fact that at the time I was still trying to figure my life out. The life lessons I have learned from working at Umpqua Dairy allowed me to mature and understand the importance of being responsible such as being able to wake up and be ready to be productive to tackle on the problems that arises at a work environment. My favorite moments at Umpqua Dairy were the social interaction with clients and coworkers, so it was a really tough decision to leave. My time at Umpqua Dairy allowed me to pay for beauty school without relying on student loans. Keeping me on track to set new goals in my life. My parents always taught me to "always set a goal, it doesn't matter how big or small, if you set a goal you have something to work for, something to motivate you, something to grow towards" and I continue to live with these values. Now that I am at the end of my schooling, I am confident to be focus on the next chapter of my life. I am only 18 and I am fresh out high school, but getting that job at Umpqua Dairy plus having to meet other people's expectations has given me a sense of ownership of my life. At the moment the future is up in the air for everyone, but I am most excited about trying new things, the challenges that life throws at you. I love that things are hard, but I love the fact that I been able to work through them and continue to move forward to enjoy future success in starting a business, starting a family and continue this life journey"

Meet: Rachel, North Bend High School Class of 2020

“I was always the quiet person, never really went out to do anything. I didn’t like attention EVER! No one really had given me a second thought; however, things started to change when Mr. Johnston called me down to his office to tell me I needed one more credit to graduate. At that very moment, a Youth Talent Advisor came to our Senior Capstone class to discuss internship opportunities for high school credit. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to obtain that missing credit, it was AWESOME to be able to get an internship for SCHOOL CREDIT and gain Work Experience. I never really had previous work experience, but I would volunteer down at my grandma’s church providing help with the “Homeless Persons Memorial” plus taking care of kids. The Youth Talent Advisor was great at maintaining consistent communication with me throughout the internship process and matching my interests with a wonderful internship experience at the Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club seemed like a perfect fit due to my nurturing personality of caring for others, plus I was familiar with the facility as I quite often attended the program as a student. It was quite special being able to work there because I was able to understand the program from a staff perspective, allowing me to realize the hard work it took to maintain a positive environment for the kids to flourish and be happy. I was comfortable from the get-go because I saw familiar faces and had tremendous support from my co-workers and my Youth Talent Advisor. One of my favorite moments at the Boys & Girls Club was when I was in the middle school room and, you know middle schoolers, they can be a little mean, I stood up for some and I spoke to them about being true to themselves and not listening to bullies. Those moments came natural to me; being able to protect those children and playing the role of a mentor gave me a sense of purpose. Therefore, problem resolution was an essential skill I learned during my internship at the Boys & Girls Club. I was able to handle stressful situations in a more mature manner, which allowed me to apply those skills in my personal life. I was devastated when my internship was cut short due to the pandemic, but those three months were filled with so many joyful memories, I truly loved being at the Boys & Girls Club. However, I will continue to hold those values and skills that I acquired during my internship. Before Recruit Hippo I was unfamiliar with how to create a resume, but by attending a resume workshop I was guided in the proper steps to design a perfect resume. For the future Juniors and Seniors at North Bend High School: do not be afraid to try new things and be open-minded, always have compassion; especially with kids who had a rough life and you are not aware of it. You have to be more understanding of a child’s behavior, and instead of yelling at them or telling them to stop you must be willing to understand where they are coming from. At the moment, my life is at a standstill because of Covid-19. However, I do know what I want to accomplish, and I want to continue impacting peoples lives in Oregon. There is this lovely little town called Sweet Home and I believe that is where my future resides, they even have a Boys & Girls Club. I like to have plan and I like to reach that plan; I am confident in my abilities to be successful. I am grateful for the support I have and continue to have in my life.”