From left to right: Damaly Mendez, Brien McMahon ‘23 and Quinnipiac University ‘27; Ashley Fernandez, McMahon ‘23 and Sacred Heart University ‘27; Cynthia Sainrilus, McMahon ‘24; and Madison Watts, Norwalk High ‘24.
While other rising seniors and rising college freshman might spend their summer mornings catching up on sleep, Damaly Mendez, Ashley Fernandez, Cynthia Sainrilus, and Madison Watts arrive at Norwalk Hospital at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday. They don their badges and head straight to work: shadowing nurses and doctors at orientation, processing files, providing clerical support in the E.R., and lending a hand to the Human Resources department. These Carver students are dually excited and serious, dedicated to learning as much as they can during their month at one of the top 100 hospitals in the United States.
“It’s an incredible experience,” Damaly says. “I’ll be studying Nursing at Quinnipiac, and this opportunity to intern in the H.R. department gives me a whole new understanding of hospital administration.” “It’s really exciting too,” Cynthia says. “Even though my day-to-day is paperwork, I get to work in the Emergency Room. While I’m filing, there are babies being born just around the corner—and you know when it happens, because they’ll play a lullaby over the intercom.”
“I’ve been processing files for every nurse and patient care tech, sorting out their certifications like their VLS and ACLS,” says Ashley. “But my favorite thing is getting to experience the culture that all the nurses have with each other. They know each other really well; they’re a family.”
“It’s really cool to see how they maneuver through the hospital,” Madison adds. “There’s so much going on all the time. It’s so communicative. Today I learned about handheld audits: if someone does something incorrectly, it goes into the database with a survey. It lets the hospital as a whole know who’s on track and who’s having trouble. And then they look out for each other. It’s corrective as it needs to be, but it’s so collaborative and supportive.”
When asked about how this internships compares to their previous work experiences, our Carver kids emphasized how involved they get to be. “It’s really different. In past work experiences, it felt like everyone was in their own world. Here everyone is a close-knit team. And they involve us in work that matters.” Beyond providing clerical support, Carver interns also shadow nurses and doctors as they go about their day. As a Code Blue comes over the intercom, our students’ ears pricked up: “Blue is an adult medical emergency. Likely respiratory or cardiac arrest.”
“I think people would expect a pre-college internship to be boring. But being here has been really fun. It motivates me to get up and go in the mornings,” Ashley says. “This gives me something to feel really proud of this summer,” Madison says. “Our work is appreciated. It feels good to help out, even when it’s something comparatively minor.”
When asked about what they plan to take away with them from the internship, our students said they appreciated the relationship building. “Not only did we get hands-on experience, but we were able to connect with nurses and doctors. Getting to meet role models in the industry has been irreplaceable.”
We are so proud of our students for bringing so much passion and verve to their summer internship. When we asked what they liked best about Carver programs, this is what they had to say:
"It means a lot that the Carver supports us. It’s a consistent ‘You can do this!’ They want us to be great. If I’m ever freaking out, I have Miss Mitchell over there. The Carver is a really good place to be.” - Ashley Fernandez
“Carver’s very inclusive. They don’t look at you differently, no matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from. They come to everyone with open arms. Anything you need, the people at Carver are always there to help you. You find that extra mother figure and extra father figure.” - Madison Watts
“They give us so many opportunities. Internships, college tours, scholarships… and those can be so hard to find on your own.” - Damaly Mendez
We at the Carver are so privileged to build lifetime achievers like Damaly, Ashley, Cynthia, and Madison. We are also so grateful to those at Nuvance Health and our Earn and Learn sponsors for making this summer internship happen. If you would like to support The Carver by bringing like opportunities to our students, please contact Director of Philanthropy, Nikki LaFaye, at nikki@the-carver.org
Left to Right: Madison Watts, Cynthia Sainrilus, Ashley Fernandez, Damaly Mendez.
About Our Students: Damaly Mendez will be a Nursing Major at Quinnipiac University this coming fall. Ashley Fernandez will be pursuing Health Science at Sacred Heart University. Cynthia Sainrilus will be entering her senior year at Brien McMahon and she dreams of becoming an optometrist. Madison is also a rising high school senior and plans to ultimately become a travel nurse.