For the past few years, the Choctaw County Library System has proudly involved interns in the delivering of services and programming to its patrons. In return, the interns have had a great time while earning wages and gaining practical skills.
“The internship provides great public relations and customer service skills, and we are pleased to offer it to local high school students,” said Cristin Reed Chandler, librarian.
Jaidaja Esters of Ackerman has been working as an intern since she was attending French Camp Academy as an 11th grader. And during the COVID pandemic, she assisted with reserving many books for patrons who utilized the pick-up option at the libraries.
“I’ve enjoyed helping the community during my time at the library, really just taking calls and helping walk-in patrons or pick-up customers find what they need has taken a lot of my time,” Esters said. “Beyond that, assisting with activities for all ages has been a lot of fun.”
Esters completed her internship on Friday since she graduated from French Camp Academy in May. She is enrolling as an entering freshman student at Itawamba Community College. She plans to study marine biology and hopes for a career in the field.
Alongside Esters, working this summer, has been Anna Barnhill.
Barnhill lives in Weir and is a junior student attending Choctaw County High School. She is part of the percussion group in the CCHS Band and plays a bass drum. She studies sports medicine at the Choctaw County Career and Technology Center and hopes to be an X-Ray technician one day. She began her internship with the library in mid-May.
“I really enjoyed the summer reading program and decorating for the Oceans of Possibilities theme,” said Barnhill. “And I’ve spent time helping persons check out books and doing inventory.”
The internships for the library have been possible through the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District (GTPDD) and a program called Gateway. It is a vocational program in which GTPDD places students in different businesses in a county and pays them a stipend for the first 50 hours of work. After that, if the businesses wish to retain the interns, they must pay them hourly wages from their own budgets moving forward.
“We have been fortunate to have interns to assist us with our activities, in particular with kids’ programs and summer programs, and our patrons find them very relatable,” Chandler said. “We hope to continue utilizing the GTPDD Gateway program in the future.”
