“Before the PrepareRI program, I was shy and disassociated from group conversations. During my interview, I was shaking and stuttering, afraid of saying the wrong thing because I felt like my voice and opinions weren’t important. My internship at Tech Collective changed all of that. I was given many different assignments with deadlines and was invited to sit in on important meetings to take notes. I quickly got over my fears and feelings of intimidation around adults and felt more comfortable speaking in small group settings. I am proud of the progress I have made in my career and personal life and was thrilled to find out my coworkers were so impressed with my work they wanted me to stay on during the school year. PrepareRI opened up opportunities for me to get a glimpse of where I want to go in the future and I am thankful for the guidance and leadership opportunities.”