Welcome CHEER's New Intern

My name is Angela Clemente and I'm 14 years old. I am Mexican-American and I speak both English and Spanish. I was born in the U.S.A but growing up I only learned to speak Spanish. English was never spoken

in my household because neither of my parents knew how to speak it. When I started school at 5 years old, it was a bit difficult or should I say it was extremely difficult! I didn't know what everyone was saying and I felt left out even when everyone tried to involve me in everything. I cried after school telling my parents that I couldn't do it, that everything was going to be difficult. Eventually, I got used to my school and learned English during my year in pre-kindergarten. Now I can proudly say I know how to speak both English and Spanish. I don’t regret speaking Spanish first and having difficulty with English because I learned at an early age that school and life were never going to be easy. I go to Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park. I ended up attending Don Bosco because my cousin graduated from there with real-life experience. I wanted the same experience, to learn more, and to be ready for university as well. Now that I have been in school for two months, I am experiencing how much Don Bosco Cristo Rey prepares you for college. Don Bosco has a training program before starting school. It’s a three-week program to prepare you for work. They make you practice typing on keyboards, answer phone calls, use a printer, file papers, communicate with adults, etc. I’m so glad they taught me these skills! I started working at CHEER on September 4th. When I walked into CHEER all the workers were very nice towards me. They were very patient while training me. They also work very hard to help others. CHEER is excited to continue our partnership with Don Bosco Cristo Rey and the Corporate Work Study Program. Each year a student intern, typically a freshman, joins us one day a week to work in the office. Our interns have helped us with data entry (essential in a results-oriented, data-driven organization), customer service (frequently in Spanish), and community outreach. In turn, our interns gain real-life experience on the job – interacting with customers, time management, and teamwork are just a few examples. Welcome, Angela!