Kaua‘i County utilized some industrious college and high school students home for summer break. In return the students will take with them some real-life experience. For the past six weeks, 23 students have been employed as interns in the county’s
Kaua‘i County utilized some industrious college and high school students home for summer break. In return the students will take with them some real-life experience.
For the past six weeks, 23 students have been employed as interns in the county’s Summer Youth Employment Program, working in various county departments and private businesses in partnership with the county.
“Every day, there’s something new to learn about the inner workings of computers,” said Nannie Apalla, assigned to the Information Technology Division along with Kurt Yasutake, in a press release.
One aspect about the summer job that Yasutake particularly enjoyed was learning to fix the problems that arise during the course of a workday.
“We’re learning valuable skills that I think we’ll be able to use later in life,” Yasutake said, according to the release.
Earlier, Bradson Hiranaka, a Kaua‘i High School/Kaua‘i Community College student, also worked as an IT intern and shared the workload with Apalla and Yasutake.
Tasked with helping the IT Division with the roll-out of 40 new computers, the summer interns have spent most of their time configuring the systems and setting them up at different job sites.
Apalla and Yasutake also worked closely with each user, listening to what his or her requirements are, and finding the right software for the user.
Both students will be entering their junior year this fall at colleges on O‘ahu. Apalla is a marketing major at Chaminade University, while Yasutake is studying finance and business at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
“The interns have been a tremendous help,” said their supervisor Beth Mallia, according to the release. “It’s great to be part of a well-organized team that supports the summer intern program and other programs that ultimately benefit the county.”
Mallia, who started with the county as the IT Help Desk Administrator in June, is responsible for the oversight of all county computers, networks and phone system.
