NAF students from North Texas spent the summer in the NAF Future Ready Lab internship program at the Capital One campus in Plano. As the internships came to a close on August 10, the students presented their final projects in front of a “Shark Tank” panel of judges. The final projects consisted of challenges from four local startups including Doxa Collective, FactorZ, First Stream Clean and Bubbl.
Students had been working with these startups to address business challenges such as social media campaigns and mockups of website and mobile applications.
Judges chose FactorZ as the winning team for its idea of creating its own company, marketing plan, financials and business model. The team conceptualized a fashion company called Kustom Phit with a focus on screen printing t-shirts. Factor Z students include Magaly Arzate and Karl Mata from Justin F. Kimball High School and Jose Mondragon, Daniel Ramirez and Chris Guevara from Sunset High School.
Magaly Arzate, Justin F. Kimball High School, Karla Mata, Justin F. Kimball High School, Jose Mondragon, Sunset High School, Daniel Ramirez, Sunset High School and Chris Guevara, Sunset High School
Mentors from Capital One helped students identify and design solutions for their assigned startup projects, providing them with an opportunity to put their STEM skills and education into practice.
“Before this program, I felt confused about tech, but now with the help of the Capital One mentors, I’m learning innovative ways to improve projects and feel more confident about digital skills. I’ve learned leadership skills and feel free to share my ideas,” stated Brandon Parrish, senior, Sunset High School in Oak Cliff.
During the internship at Capital One, students participate in professional skill-building workshops with mentors and learn about college life. The paid internship included youth from Woodrow Wilson, Justin F. Kimball, W.H. Adamson and Sunset high schools. NAF Future Ready Lab is a new, innovative internship concept designed to scale the quantity of meaningful internship experiences available for more students to participate and prepare for future careers.
“This experience has helped me with entrepreneurship because we’re working with startups who are telling us that you need a whole process to starting a business and growing it to be successful. I also get positive feedback from my Capital One mentors which makes me feel like I accomplished something,” said Bryanna Harris, senior, Justin F. Kimball High School.
Brandon Parrish, Sunset HS-Oak Cliff, Araceli Ramirez, Sunset HS- Oak Cliff, Bryanna Harris, Justin F Kimball HS, Brianna Limones, W.H. Adamson HS, and Juan Camacho, WH Adamson HS- Oak Cliff.
Capital One believes that a quality education is the most important factor for our youth’s future success.
Capital One has supported the NAF mission in aiding high school academy students with career tools since 2009, working with a total of 90 NAF interns over the years. Through NAF Future Ready Lab, Capital One strives to widen the educational opportunities for students through programs that help them gain the skills of tomorrow, today so that they can work in the career of their choice. Capital One works with partners like NAF to make its Future Edge DFW commitment come to life.
In 2015, Capital One launched Future Edge, an initiative that pledged $150 million over five years to help more Americans get the skills, tools and resources they need to succeed in the 21st century. As part of this initiative, Future Edge DFW symbolizes Capital One’s commitment to make Dallas-Fort Worth a destination for top talent, spur growth as a world-renowned technology hub and nurture leaders of tomorrow.
“The opportunity to meet tech startup based companies gives me a better understanding that anything is possible with a good idea and not to be afraid to share it,” said Juan Camacho, senior, W.H. Adamson High School in Oak Cliff.
NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure that high school students are college, career, and future ready. NAF works with high need communities to transform the high school experience through an educational design that includes industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals, culminating in a paid internship. NAF academies fit within and enhance school systems, allowing NAF to become an integral part of a plan for higher achievement at a low cost. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2017-18 school year, more than 100,000 students attended 644 NAF academies across 36 states, including DC and the US Virgin Islands. In 2017, NAF academies reported 97% of seniors graduated with 90% of graduates with post-secondary intentions.