Plano (1080 KRLD) - Plano held a parade Monday for the 82 high school students completing assignments with the Plano Mayor's Summer Internship Program.
Due to the pandemic, the parade replaced a luncheon for the interns for the second straight year.
"This program really does benefit all of us, not just the corporate community or the school district, but the City of Plano," says Mayor John Muns. "We all have a beneficial advantage here, and we want to continue to let that be our guide going forward."
Muns says the program can help kids gain practical experience outside the classroom. In turn, he says the program can show companies considering a move to Plano the city can offer a skilled workforce.
"To be able to connect our corporate community with our school district and the talent we have here in Plano is a real opportunity," he says. "Selfishly, we really hope the students do make a connection, and when they come back from college, they'll make Plano their home and hopefully find employment with some of our corporate community."
The students lined up in their cars in a parking lot outside the Plano Event Center.
"It was all virtual, so I worked from home. I worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance," one student said. "It was an amazing opportunity."
"It was really great because I was able to get some insight into what it was like to work in the corporate world," another student said.
Those students say they were glad to learn outside the classroom, saying they had trouble getting used to remote learning and staying home all day. Some wondered what to expect for the fall semester.
"Because of COVID, I haven't been to school in a year and a half," one student said. "It was pretty hard to find the motivation every day."
"I'm excited to get back to school, though," another said. "We're just playing it by ear."
When a KRLD reporter tried to ask a Plano ISD trustee about plans for the next semester, a spokeswoman for the district intervened, saying, the district "is not prepared to address" questions.
The spokeswoman says details will be posted on its website and "shared directly" with families.
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