After a year of hard work and dedication, Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s interns all came together for a night of reflection and celebration. On May 17th, the annual internship reception was held at Gwynedd. All fifty-two interns were invited for a dinner celebration. At the reception, the interns along with their families were seated with the other interns in their departments to chat and reflect on the year. A delicious meal was provided by Brock catering and helped prepared by Gwynedd’s culinary interns. Throughout the meal, each group of interns were called up to the front to share a little about their internship. The students reflected on what they learned, how this internship prepared them for the college process, if they would recommend an internship to their classmates and finally, their favorite event or memory from the internship. Many of the interns worked on behind the scenes tasks throughout the year so the internship reception was a wonderful way for them to express all that they had accomplished and learned. The night ended with each intern receiving their stipend. The internship program at Gwynedd is just another reason that sets GMA apart from the rest. This program teaches leadership skills while also preparing students for the responsibilities of college and the real world. I had the opportunity to interview and get accepted as a Performing Arts intern this year and I can honestly say it was one of my favorite things from my entire high school experience, so far. I performed over fifty-hours of work ranging from creating boards and decorating for the fall musical and spring show, helping out at auditions, running the Performing Arts Instagram and even planning the end of year annual Performing Arts picnic. This internship has taught me so much about myself and I have grown in confidence and mercy as the year progressed. I am so thankful for this experience and the internship reception was just a cherry on top. Special thanks to Mrs. Guarnaccia, Mrs. Straub and all the faculty that have worked with the interns throughout the entire year to create such a formative experience for all the students.