National Intern Day is observed annually on the last Thursday of July. Established in 2017 by WayUp, the day celebrates the value interns bring to organizations while highlighting the role internships play in launching careers.

Since June 2023, Didlake has offered internships in IT, Accounting, and Training & Development. Offered twice a year, the program is a stepping stone for people who may benefit from additional support as they pursue careers in their chosen fields.

Didlake’s program is eight weeks long, offering hands-on work experience, a professional development curriculum, and even mock interviews with support from community partners and organizations. The goal is to provide a combination of real-life experience in the workplace and individualized support.

One of Didlake’s current summer interns is Izzy Marable, a community college student majoring in theater and an intern in Didlake’s Training department. She learned about the internship at Didlake through the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.

“Once I knew more about Didlake, without hesitation I wanted to sign up for the internship here,” she explained.

Didlake’s mission to create and promote opportunities that enrich the lives of people with disabilities was one of the reasons that the internship appealed to her.

“I think what people at Didlake do for people who struggle with getting into positions where they can find employment is a great thing that I’m more than happy to be part of, even if it’s just as an intern,” she added.

A typical day involves shadowing other people in the training department, working on presentations, and contributing to department projects.

Rebecca Lloyd, Director of Training at Didlake, is Izzy’s supervisor. She explained that interns in the Training department take on public speaking and content creation tasks. “By the end of her internship, she will have presented trainings three times on two separate topics. She’s helped our department grow by multitasking and taking on tasks to help us revamp some of our materials, using her keen artistic eye in visual design.”

For Izzy, the internship provided valuable insight into the day-to-day realities of the workplace.

“Interning in the Training department is one of the best ways of opening myself to getting acquainted with a work environment and opening up to people more,” she added.

Rebecca also reflected on Izzy’s professional growth throughout the internship.

“For Izzy, I have been thrilled to see how she has taken on every task and experience with a sense of professionalism and dedication. I’ve seen her confidence and expression grow in leaps and bounds in the last few weeks.”

Looking back on the experience, Izzy says the accomplishment she is most proud of is staying with the program.

“I’m not one for adjusting to new things, but this has been a huge but very welcome adjustment. I’m very proud of sticking with it as long as I have.”

This National Intern Day, Didlake celebrates the contributions of interns like Izzy and the professional growth they achieve through internships that offer hands-on learning, mentorship, and meaningful work. We look forward to continuing to welcome interns and offer opportunities for them to build skills, gain real-world experience in the workplace, and take the next steps in their careers.