“These remarkable students exceeded our expectations”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Hopkins House’s Early Childhood Learning Institute (ECLI) partnered this summer with the Work-Based Learning Alliance (WBLA) at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to provide seven outstanding dual-enrollment students — simultaneously enrolled in NOVA and their local high schools — with a four-week summer internship focused on solving a real-world nonprofit marketing challenge.
The internship demonstrated the power of industry-connected learning by giving the students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to a meaningful project while developing the professional skills employers value most.
Rather than assigning routine office work, Hopkins House challenged the students to think strategically. Under the guidance of ECLI Director Stephanie Turner-Menson and Assistant Director Deborah Okyere, who served as mentors throughout the program, the interns were asked to develop a comprehensive family recruitment and retention marketing strategy for the Hopkins House Preschool Academy. The project required students to evaluate the Academy’s existing marketing efforts, research best practices, and recommend innovative approaches to strengthen enrollment and family engagement. The assignment included researching community events, designing recruitment materials, developing social media content, recommending a marketing performance tracking system, and presenting a comprehensive strategy for future implementation.
The seven summer interns – Madison Brown, Madelyne Berwitz, Aritra Barua, Lex Tamura, Maahrukh Mujtaba, Alex Samsot, and Mozammel Warid – worked collaboratively over the four-week experience, conducting research, analyzing Hopkins House’s marketing opportunities, and developing a series of recommendations designed to help the Preschool Academy strengthen enrollment and improve outreach to working families. At the conclusion of the internship in July, the team presented its findings through a professionally produced video presentation to Hopkins House’s senior leadership. Their recommendations will also be presented this fall to the Hopkins House Communications & Outreach Committee for further review and consideration.
“These remarkable students exceeded our expectations,” said J. Glenn Hopkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hopkins House. “Their research, creativity, professionalism, and thoughtful recommendations demonstrated the tremendous value of providing young people with authentic, real-world learning experiences. We are delighted with the quality of their work and fully expect to implement many of their recommendations as we continue strengthening our Preschool Academy’s marketing and enrollment efforts.”
“Our goal was not simply to help these students complete an assignment,” said Stephanie Turner-Menson, Director of the Early Childhood Learning Institute, emphasizing that the mentoring given to the interns extended far beyond supervising a project. “We wanted them to develop the transferable, in-demand employability skills, such as critical thinking, teamwork, communication, project management, research, and professional presentation, that will serve them well regardless of the career paths they pursue in the future.”
Deborah Okyere added, “Watching the students grow in confidence over four short weeks was incredibly rewarding. They embraced feedback, collaborated effectively, and produced work that can make a lasting contribution to our organization.”
The internship reflects the mission of the Work-Based Learning Alliance (WBLA), a female-founded and female-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all high school students across the United States have access to industry-connected learning experiences that develop the real-world skills needed to succeed beyond the classroom.
For Hopkins House, the partnership also aligns closely with the mission of the Early Childhood Learning Institute, which prepares and supports current and future educators while building stronger pathways to educational achievement, workforce readiness, and economic mobility.
In addition to Turner-Menson and Okyere, the program partners included Sara Mohammad, Work-Based Learning Coordinator of NOVA’s Business Engagement and Career Services, Nicole Davis, WBLA Vice President of Programs, and Rhea Scott, WBLA Coordinator.
“Partnerships like this benefit everyone,” Hopkins added. “Students gain valuable professional experience, nonprofits receive fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, and our community benefits from a new generation of talented young leaders who understand how they can use their skills to make a positive impact.”
About Hopkins House
Founded in 1939, Hopkins House is one of Northern Virginia’s oldest nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering children and families through education, opportunity, and community service. Its nationally recognized Early Childhood Learning Institute (ECLI) prepares current and aspiring early childhood educators through workforce development, mentoring, career coaching, and higher education partnerships, while Hopkins House Preschool Academies provide high-quality early childhood education to hundreds of children each year.
