Surry-Yadkin Works Places 31 Interns for Fall Semester

Surry-Yadkin Works has placed 31 students in internships for the Fall 2021 semester. The program is the collaborative effort of four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools, as well as Surry Community College, to create a unique approach to a regional internship program.

The funding is also a joint effort with commitments from the Surry County Commissioners and the Yadkin County Commissioners. An anonymous contributor donated $100,000 prompted by a presentation about the program at an educational summit. Surry-Yadkin Works officially began on January 1, 2021.

The Surry-Yadkin Works interns are working in 21 businesses and organizations throughout Surry and Yadkin counties. These students along with their high schools, workplaces, and job titles are as follows:

Elkin High School: Addison Blackwelder, Prism Medical, Business Development Intern; Luis Hernandez, Frontier Natural Gas, Customer Service/Marketing Representative; and Amani Tilley, Tampco, Machine Intern.

Mount Airy High School: Jillian Sheets, Interlam Design, Social Media Marketing Intern and Luke Slate, Cooke Rentals, Service & Maintenance.

North Surry High School: Luis Cabrera-Juarez, Surry Communications, Mapping/GIS Intern; Rylan Loggins, Altec, Parts & Supply Department; Tyler Ramey, Altec, Transportation Intern; Valerie “Layne” McCreary, Surry County EMS, EMS Observational Intern; Weatherly Reeves, Surry County Economic Development Partnership, Social Media Marketing Intern; Alec Singleton, Scenic Automotive, Automotive Technician; Victoria Brooke Spencer, Heart & Soul B&B, Hospitality & Tourism; Carson Stanley, Smith Rowe, Project Management; and Bryson Wilson, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, OR Attendant.

East Surry High School: Jose Campos-Rosas, Pilot Mechanical, Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning Technician; Maria Chilton, Mount Pilot Child Enrichment Center, Childcare Intern; Alyson Huybert, Children’s Center of Surry, Teen Court; Jamariah Lowery, G&B Energy, Customer Service Representative; Nick Lowery, Shelton’s Vineyard, Kitchen Assistant; and Joshua Montalvo, Shenandoah Furniture, Packing/Truck Loading.

Surry Central High School: Madison Freeman, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, OR Attendant; Daisy Garcia, Altec, Facilities & Safety & Training Intern; and Enoc Lopez, Smith Rowe, Construction Yard Crew.

Surry Early College High School: Maylin Castillo, Altec, Office & Training Intern; Karla Chavez, Scenic Automotive, Marketing Intern; Matthew Gillespie, Shenandoah Furniture, CNC Programmer; Evelin Lara, Scenic Automotive, Automotive Technician; and Jesus Nava, Altec, Maintenance Intern.

Forbush High School: Samantha Lunsford, Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Physicians Services Intern.

Starmount High School: Katlyn Hudspeth, Yadkin County Government, Accounting Intern.

Yadkin Early College High School: Olivia Pizzuti, Surry-Yadkin Works, Social Media Marketing Intern.

The students began their internships on August 30, and they will work through December 15. They will receive high school or college credit for their employment along with a stipend each month for travel expenses.

For more information about the program or the virtual kickoff event, contact Crystal Folger-Hawks, Surry-Yadkin Works Program Director, at (336) 401-7820 or folger-hawksc@surry.edu or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org. You can also follow Surry-Yadkin Works on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @surryyadkinworks and on Twitter @SurYadWorks.