Internships

8th Grade Internship Program

Since the 2007-08 school year, GSL has required 8th graders to secure a 3-day business internship in the "real world" as part of their culminating year of studies. Our goal with this signature program is to teach students academic skills that will help them more effectively navigate the working world and teach them how to ask for and acquire an internship in a particular field, while helping them begin to think about professions that might be of interest to them in the future.  

Before the internship, students are asked to:

• Discern which profession they would like to pursue

• Write a thorough proposal explaining why they would like this particular profession

• Draft a business email to a potential mentor, inquiring for an internship position

• Practice phone and email etiquette, as well as intrapersonal communication skills

• Get to know their business and mentor using web research

At the internship, students are asked to:

• Spend 6-8 hours per day for three days with their mentor and business in February

• Dress professionally (as dictated by the business or mentor)

• Be punctual and professional in their behaviors and communication

• Keep a journal of what they learn while with their mentors and other workers

• Be an inquisitive and active learner

• Photograph their experience of their internship

After the internship, students are asked to:

• Organize their journal entries, web research, and photographs

• Create a science-fair style presentation board documenting their experience

• Present their experience to teachers, students, and parents at an 8th Grade Internship Fair in early March

• Write a handwritten thank you note to their mentor explaining what they learned 

We hope you will consider hosting a Grace-St. Luke’s student. If you have any questions about our program, please contact Internship Coordinator and Middle School Dean of Students  Kimberly White. 

Photo at right: 8th Grader Ava interned in 2022 at Leo Events with mentors and business owners Kevin and Cindy Brewer. 

Letter to Mentors

Thank you for considering serving as business mentors for the 8th Grade Internship Program this year at Grace-St. Luke’s. This program was created to give our 8th graders a chance to use the skills they are learning in real-world settings, and to help them begin to think about possible career paths as they continue their educational journey. Our hope is that our students will develop their leadership skills and independence while applying their classroom learning to the world of work. This is a signature program for GSL, and an exceptional and innovative opportunity for Middle School students.

Some answers to questions you may have: Students will be graded on the steps leading up to the final product, but the final product will be evaluated by the community at large, including students, teachers, and parents. Just as in the real world of work, the evaluation will involve peers and superiors commenting on the student’s efforts. We want the students to focus more on the process of preparing for the project and completing the internship rather than producing a final presentation for a letter grade. This is an invaluable experience for all of our students. We could not do it without your support, and we thank you!

Sincerely,
Andy Surber     
Head of School

• Click here to read about our program in the Daily Memphian, Feb. 28, 2021.
• Click here to read about our program in our Spring 2018 Anchor Magazine.
• Click here to read about our program in the Commercial Appeal, Feb 19, 2015.
• Click here to read about our program in our Spring 2012 Anchor Magazine.
• Click here to see more about this project in a recent GSL TAIS presentation.

Selected businesses that have participated as mentors in recent years:

92.9 ESPN Radio
98.1 The Max
Alchemy Restaurant
All Better Pediatrics
Anna Lattimore Interior Design
Archer Malmo
Archimania
Ardent Studios
Baker Donelson Law
Bell Fine Art Jewelry
Big River Engineering
Campbell Clinic
Central Animal Hospital
Central BBQ
Duncan Williams
GCD Interiors
HBO
Hemline
Hnedak Bobo
Judge Phyllis Gardner
Judge Sherry Lipman
Le Bonheur Hospital
Leo Events
Linkous Construction
Martin Music
McEwen's Restaurant
McLaren / Fisker - San Francisco
Medtronic
Memphis Flyer
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Humane Society
Memphis Magazine
Memphis Tigers Basketball
Memphis Zoo
Montgomery Martin Contractors
Muddy’s Bakery
New Ballet Ensemble
Orpheum Theater
Playhouse on the Square
Pink Palace Museum
Red Door Wealth
Roadshow BMW
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Sun Studio
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Wilson Air Center
WMC-TV News Channel 5