What began as students informally supporting Poly Prep’s technology department over the summer has grown into a formal internship program that extends throughout the academic year. Charles Polizano P’18 created Plugged-In Poly in response to strong interest in learning beyond the classroom and student clubs. This year, five students, Anaysha Arthur ’29, Alex Basham ’26, Othello Ghartey ’27, Charles Jaffe ’27, and Vassia Yatrakis ’28, have worked alongside Poly’s busy tech team, building practical skills while helping meet everyday campus needs. 

Students are “on shift” for two periods each rotation. They check in with the tech office and respond to a variety of tasks. The interns tackle things like replacing printer toner and Chromebook batteries, resolving Wi-Fi connectivity problems; debugging interactive Promethean boards; fixing door locks; and troubleshooting other equipment issues. The program is flexible enough to work around students’ academic and extracurricular commitments. In the summer, the internship continues as a paid opportunity.

Learning By Doing

Othello Ghartey ’27 shares that what excites him about the internship is the ability to problem solve tech issues and offer assistance in a collaborative way. “I initially wanted to join the Plugged-In Poly program because I have always been interested in technology and how it can be used to help people in practical ways. What stood out to me about this program was that it was not just about having prior knowledge of how devices work, but also about being able to solve problems and support others in a collaborative way.” None of the technology tasks are exactly the same and there’s something new to learn in each situation. 

To Ghartey, it is a win-win opportunity. He has the chance to both learn and contribute to Poly. “During my discussion with Mr. Polizano, I appreciated how much he cares about the students in the program benefiting from the experience just as much as he cares about the people we help.” In addition, Ghartey discovered that he’s not only honing problem solving skills, he’s also learning patience and communication. “I have a better understanding of how to troubleshoot issues, staying calm when something is not working, and explaining solutions clearly to people.  It is important to be adaptable because not every problem has an obvious answer right away.”

Turning Interest Into Opportunity

Anaysha Arthur ’29 shares that her interest in technology drew her to the internship, where hands-on experiences and connections with new people are helping her explore potential future paths in engineering or law. “I joined the internship program because I always had an interest in technology. I liked that the internship was during school, and also worked with my schedule. So far, I’ve taken apart a couple of computers and replaced the batteries for the mechanical locks on doors. Working with the locks has been my favorite part because I’ve gotten to encounter a lot of different people and it’s always nice to meet new people.”

Preparing Students for What’s Next

Plugged-In Poly continues to evolve as a unique learning opportunity, giving students meaningful, hands-on experience while strengthening the school community with their service. By combining real-world problem solving with collaboration and mentorship in a fun environment, the program not only supports Poly’s day-to-day technology needs but also prepares students with skills and builds confidence they will carry into future academic and professional pursuits.