As they enter their senior year and step closer to their professional debut, the Academy of Finance’s class of 2024 has returned to Coral Gables Senior High with newfound knowledge from their summer internships. In pursuit of their National Academy Foundation Certifications, the rising seniors spent their summers as part of the workforce exploring their interests and becoming acclimated with new responsibilities.
For Alejandra Dellano, Ian Lozada and Avani Tembe, their experiences have eased the anxiety that come with moving towards the workforce.
While some faced their internships with certainty, Alejandra Dellano found herself nervous in a room of familiar faces. As the summer began, Dellano spent her time filling the role of office assistant at Leidy D Beauty, her mother’s Medical Spa. At first, her internship took the form of hectic days where she tended to customers and juggled appointments.
“Although I worked with my mom, I was determined to really pull my weight alongside all of her employees. Of course I could not preform laser or give lip injections, but I took my job seriously, booking appointments and answering questions, helping out where I could. But when I didn’t feel that was enough, I took it one step further with the Leidy D Beauty Miami Instagram and Tiktok accounts,” senior Alejandra Dellano said.
With an original Instagram account accumulating over 10K followers, Leidy Diaz found only one flaw in her marketing: she had not produced bilingual content. As the spa already had a loyal Spanish-speaking following, Dellano set her sights on creating content that catered to an English-speaking audience. Aiming to bring in new customers, Dellano curated Instagram Reels and Tiktok videos under the LeidyDBeautyMiami handle throughout her summer.
“Being a part of Ale’s videos for her mother’s business was such a heartwarming experience. It was easy to see how passionate Alejandra was about it and how happy it made Leidy to see her help out so much for her business. Alejandra seemed to be an amazing creative director. She was filled with ideas and knowledge on boosting engagement and all things advertisement,” senior Mauricio Quesada said.
Interning in the Human Resources department of EdFed Bank’s Kendall Branch, Ian Lozada began working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday throughout his summer.
As Lozada began working in the HR department, he kept busy with introductory online courses in the office. By the end of the summer, Lozada had completed numerous classes about topics including Simple Banking and the Banking Secrecy Act. Lozada credits this smooth sailing to his supervisor who set up his courses every morning and was always there to guide him.
While managing his financial literacy courses, Lozada simultaneously acted as an extra set of hands around the office. He assisted his coworkers in any way he could, from laminating papers to making imitation documents for Teller training. Lozada’s office activities helped him further his proficiency in essential computer programs.
“I learned to better use computer programs there at the HR department. I learned how to use Excel better, although I am certified. The internship helped me use it better and in a more practical way. I would say I feel a lot more comfortable with it now,” senior Ian Lozada said.
Spending her time away from school as an intern in the marketing department of the All Inclusive Collection Hotel Group, Avani Tembe’s journey took her everywhere from packed boardrooms to the Riviera Maya.
Hearing about the position from a friend of a friend, Tembe interviewed directly with her soon to be manager. Tembe felt it was important to land this internship to aid her in building a skillset that would advance her portfolio.
Throughout her internship, Tembe made her way through all the stepping stones of marketing. Working in a space surrounded by collaborators, Tembe found herself immersed in a creative support system, making it easy for her to learn from her new coworkers. Curating logos, ads, business pitches and creative designs and concepts, Tembe mastered many online design applications.
“As an Intern, I was never in a position where I wasn’t given fair opportunity and play room. I’d come into work and work on projects I was given for however long they took,” senior Avani Tembe said.
Pushing through her long hours and challenging work, Tembe was able to attend the AIC group’s Showstopper Awards in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Here, Tembe worked with The Robert Connor Dawes Foundation, a non-profit that partners with the Hard Rock. Tembe was given the honor of announcing the AIC group’s partnership with the RCD Foundation in front of over 200 business development managers, ending her internship with a bang.
After a summer of everything from business trips to social media management, AOF’s class of 2024 remains prepared for the future and working towards success. As their transition to adulthood quickly approaches, these seniors have AOF to thank for their hands on experience in the workplace.
