ASTERISK Summer Intern Program Ends Second Successful Year

It’s especially tough for teenagers to find summer work these days, so 135 MVUSD seniors and recent grads were especially grateful and motivated to do their best as summer interns in the ASTERISK program, which wrapped up today. ASTERISK, which stands for “Accelerating Success Through Employment, Responsibility, Inspiration, Skills and Knowledge,” places qualified students in five-week summer internships at MVUSD, City of Moreno Valley, and several other agencies and private-sector businesses. Interns earn a modest stipend, but gain a tremendous amount of work experience, and are able to make contacts and begin building a résumé. Three interns this year even landed paying jobs with their ASTERISK employer. The 2015 program almost doubled in size from 2014. Superintendent Dr. Judy D. White, who created ASTERISK, told the crowd at a reception for interns and employers that she hopes to expand the program to serve as many as 1,000 students within several years.