Empowering Students Through Real‑World Experience

Students from H.D. Woodson High School in Washington, DC attended mock interviews at United Way of the National Capital Area’s downtown office in February. 
 
The interviews allow students enrolled in one of the school’s career academies to practice interviewing and receive feedback from experienced hiring managers. 
 
“A lot of our students, although they get that professional skills development in (school), it’s always good to have outside partners such as United Way to come in and give a different perspective,” H.D. Woodson High School Academy of Finance Director Maya Jefferson said. “Often times, our students struggle with their confidence. These types of sessions help them get the feedback they need, so they can rock out in these interviews and secure the jobs.” 
 
The students will eventually be interviewing for summer internships with District of Columbia Public Schools and the city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. 
 
“In these interviews, it helps them pull out their inner strengths—some of the things that make them who they are,” Jefferson said. “Any time we do events like this, it’s very rewarding because, you’ll see the shy and timid students rise to the occasion. Everybody deserves a seat at these tables.” 
 
The mock interview sessions give students a chance to build confidence in a variety of interview sessions with structured feedback from every volunteer interviewer. 
 
“I personally was blown away by how prepared these young adults were. And, they really poured into us as much as we poured into them,” volunteer interviewer Louis Shi said. “To find United Way and the mission for the underprivileged, but right on the border of the ALICE population, we found a lot of us fell into that group when we were younger. A lot of our store managers were very vulnerable in saying, ‘Yeah, I saw myself in that young man or that young woman.’ So, we found this was a fitting scenario for us to contribute some time and make an impact on some young individuals.” 
 
H.D. Woodson High School is a United Way NCA Community School. Our work in these Title I schools addresses attendance, behavior, and course performance. H.D. Woodson’s students have opportunities to earn higher wages in industries affiliated with its Career Academies (Engineering, IT, and Finance). 
 
“My goal is to be a successful young Black man in whatever I choose to do in life. What got me prepared for that goal is the communication skills I learned from talking to all these hard-working Black men. They helped shape me,” Matthew, an H.D. Woodson student, said. “Preparation is everything. No matter what you do, if it’s a job or whatever it is, you’re going to compete. So, be prepared.” 
 
To learn more about volunteering and supporting United Way NCA’s Youth Opportunity work, visit unitedwaynca.org.