Phones are buzzing. Spreadsheets are being updated. Excitement is building for what’s to come this summer! It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year here at Pivotal -- the months where we find and lock down dream internships for our scholars.

In case you can’t tell, we’re pretty jazzed about it! Frankly, it’s the enthusiasm and joy we see on our scholar’s faces that gets us out of bed in the morning, particularly when they learn a Pivotal internship means working alongside experts in graphic design, zoology, healthcare, and other exciting fields they’ve set their sights on.

We put the time and energy into our internship program year after year because it’s truly a win-win. The Pivotal Internship Program is an opportunity for foster youth to gain hands-on professional experience that aligns with their career goals and a chance for Silicon Valley employers to gain top talent, many who end up becoming their next loyal, all-star employee! 

Over the years, we've placed hundreds of high school and college interns. And we continue to grow and refine the program based on feedback from our scholars and partners. A silver lining of the 2020 season, for example, was learning that shorter, more project-based positions worked well for our corporate partners. 

Just look at the story of John and Nemi Ngonzo, the brothers in arms who had a busy 2020 summer flexing their graphic design and marketing muscles at Netskope, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and Good Stuff Partners. These internship partners tailored the structure of the engagements to their desired timeline and needs, while John and Nemi gained 350 hours worth of experience and income across three Bay Area companies. Again -- a win-win!

We continued to come back to John and Nemi and say, “We have another exciting opportunity. You up for it?” and each time, despite juggling a plethora of other responsibilities, the response was always an enthusiastic, “Yes, let’s do it!” 

So what’s in store for these two as we look ahead to summer 2021? John wants to help the homeless in his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, so we’re working on a virtual internship with a South African-based nonprofit. And Nemi, who is pursuing a design and communications degree, hopes to dig back into the branding and design work he loved so much at Good Stuff Partners. Big things are ahead for these two, that’s for sure!

It’s the partnerships with our internship hosts that make these dreams a reality. That’s why we’re here to listen to your needs and adjust accordingly. Whether you need support with a quick 30-day project or are seeking a more integrated team member, we’ll find the most fitting and impressive candidates for you and your team. Just think, giving a Pivotal scholar a shot for 30 days might lead to your company’s next big innovation or land you a future C-level executive. What’s stopping you?

Interested to learn more or eager to get your questions answered? Reach out to Tom Fandre at 408.508.7928 or tom.fandre@pivotalnow.org.