An Opportunity that Changes Lives: EXP Internship Program
Charter class of International Trade Academy (ITA).
A high school internship can change a life. Nobody understands that more than Favio Hernandez ‘02. Favio was in the International Trade Academy (ITA) charter class at Phineas Banning High School and the first internship program cohort in the summer of 2001. He was placed with the Port of Los Angeles Financial Management Department, and that opportunity changed everything.
“The internship paved the way for my future career goals,” said Favio. “It was the cornerstone that opened my eyes to what I thought at that time was beyond my reach." That summer, Favio discovered college and career possibilities in finance. It led him first to his degree at USC and then to a job opportunity in New York City.
But Favio received more than just career aspirations during that summer. The Global Credit Products Chief of Staff at Credit Suisse commended many caring adults at the Port who contributed to his success.
When he puts on his tie, Favio remembers how the late Martín Chavez, the internship program lead and the Port’s Director of Human Resources, taught him to tie it the very first time. When he wears his suit as he often does with his current job, Favio thinks of when his internship supervisor, Charles Turner, drove him to buy his first suit before moving to New York. And as he dines with his clients, Favio is grateful that the Port Assistant Director of Trade Development, Norman Arikawa, taught him basic dining etiquette so he would know what to do at a business lunch.
Benjamin Cruz ‘20 at his final project presentation at Cal Cartage, a Prologis client.
Internships are in Our DNA
Internships have always been an essential part of EXP programs. EXP founder Carol Rowen and former COO Bonnie Bair built the foundation of our very first academy at Phineas Banning High School after the California Partnership Academy (CPA) model. The CPA model integrates academic and career technical education, business partnerships, mentoring, and internships, effectively connecting the classroom to the real world in a way that makes sense to students.
For this blueprint to work for ITA, Carol needed support from her industry friends and the Port staff. She quickly recruited the Port’s Director of Administration, the late Bill Stein, to help lead the fundraising to get the program going. Bill then recruited Martín to put together a high school student internship program.
Despite being skeptical that teenagers would make good workers, then-Port Executive Director Larry Keller relented and offered ten internship spots at the Port. Six other companies, including Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA), also signed on.
James Hankla, ACTA CEO at that time, had a great affinity for encouraging and teaching youth and supporting nonprofit organizations, especially ones that involved the Ports. As a Phineas Banning alum, supporting the internship program was a natural extension of James’ character, priorities, and inspirational leadership. His legacy remains today at ACTA as they continue to host our interns every summer.
Anahi Ramos ‘25 , Summer 2024 intern at Matrix Oil.
The EXP Internship Program continues to grow and evolve since Favio’s cohort of 15 interns with seven host companies around the Los Angeles Harbor area. In 2018, our long-time partner Prologis, a global logistics real estate company, deepened their engagement with EXP, expanding the depth of the internship program and revitalizing logistics career pathways. Since the partnership began, 645 EXP interns have received access to the Prologis career-readiness training portal, and many have been placed with Prologis’ clients.
In Summer 2024, we had 125 students placed at nearly 60 companies and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as the City of Barstow.
Investing in Our Future
Carol’s vision to connect business with education through experiential learning has shown results. In 1999, the graduation rate for Phineas Banning High School overall was 37%, below the Los Angeles Unified School District rate of 46%. Our 2022 summer interns have a graduation rate of 99% compared to LAUSD's 86.1%.
Our interns developed vital work-ready skills, gained confidence through the EXP internship program, and built the professional network that will help them with their future college and career journeys. Unsurprisingly, over the past 25 years, about 22% of industry partners employ EXP graduates.
Our newest intern, Anahi Ramos ’25 from Tustin High School, made quite an impression on our first-time internship host, Matrix Oil, with her friendliness and enthusiasm.
“Anahi was an absolute delight to have for the summer. Her inquisitive nature was refreshing in our industry,” said Jessica Paquette, Environmental Health and Safety Supervisor at Matrix Oil, who oversaw Anahi’s internship. “Matrix Oil is happy to support her in her career path, wherever that might be. And we would, without a doubt, hire her if we had an open position!”
In an age where the future of the American economy hinges on innovation and a skilled workforce, we cannot overstate the importance of creating talent pipelines. Employers and educators are starting to see high school internships as pivotal tools to build the next generation of workforce and ensure graduation, respectively. EXP has recognized this need since our founding 25 years ago and remains committed to preparing our students for a prosperous and equitable future.
Join us on the 25th of every month to learn about EXP’s history as we celebrate our 25th anniversary from now through June 2025.