Many students take the summer to relax, travel or catch up on their studies. This year, however, three St. Christopher’s School seniors saw advertising in action at the distinguished Richmond-based Martin Agency. Seniors Chris Schroeder, John Edmonds, and Meyann Avele-Eya met clients, account executives and creative teams at the firm’s headquarters in Shockoe Bottom during a week-long internship program.

Run by the StC Parents Association and the School’s College Counseling Office, the Junior Summer Internship Program places rising seniors in internships with Richmond-area companies and organizations. Boys are matched with internships based on their academic and career interests to give them a glimpse of real-world professional environments.

One student’s experience at the Martin Agency changed his mind about the direction he wanted to go during college and beyond. “I’ve always been interested in marketing,” said Chris Schroeder ‘20. “I always thought I wanted to go into design, but the more meetings we attended and the more I talked with people, I realized I’d rather be an account strategist. You get to meet the clients, and you get to know the accounts better.” 

Another student, John Edmonds ‘20, is interested in pursuing a business career, and the internship was an opportunity to see how an international advertising agency operated on an everyday basis. “I’d say I’m more interested in the creative side as well now,” said Edmonds. “The meetings they held about some of the advertising campaigns they had coming up were really interesting.”

The goal of the program is not only to match boys with opportunities that interest them, but it also provides an authentic glimpse of what it’s like to actually work in a professional environment. “The Junior Internship Program is a great opportunity for StC boys to discover employment opportunities that complement their personal interests and provide a look at life in the real world,” wrote Lindley Beck, an StC parent who helps place students in internships. 

The experience can be invaluable for students who are still thinking about what kind of career appeals to them. “I’ve heard of plenty of kids who thought they wanted to be a doctor, but they found that their internship was standing in an operating room for 12 hours a day,” said Schoeder. “I think this program gives us a real head-start on the career and college path that we want to take. “