White Plains High School seniors meet with counselors to prepare for Senior Internship Tiger Experience program

A group of people, including an older adult, are seated at a table in a classroom-like setting, engaged in what appears to be a discussion or presentation.

Feb 12 2026

White Plains High School seniors are building up their resumes through the Senior Internship Tiger Experience (SITE) program. Students met with school counselors and SITE co-advisors Genevieve Little and Jeffrey Hirsch this morning to discuss preparation for their internship experiences and what to expect in the next few months.

Three individuals, dressed in black clothing, are seated at a table in what appears to be an office or classroom setting, with shelves and other items visible in the background.

So far, 18 students have secured their internships, which will begin on May 1 at the earliest and continue until approximately June 15. Students will work at businesses throughout White Plains and the surrounding area, gaining experience in fields they are interested in for their futures.

“We have partnerships out in the community, where they're taking on our high school students at the tail end of the fourth quarter to give them that real world internship experience,” said Ms. Little.

One of those partnerships is the White Plains Police Department, where a student who wants to be a police officer will intern. Other partnerships include veterinary groups, law firms, engineering firms and the local electrical union.

Students are required to complete 25 hours of work a week to complete the program. They can complete the hours each week at times that work for their schedule, and they will receive exemptions from certain schoolwork to allow them to focus on their internships more fully. Students must also be passing all their classes at the time they begin their internship to participate in the program.

A group of people, including a man standing in the foreground, are seated at desks in what appears to be a classroom or meeting room setting.

Now in its third year, students are excited to take advantage of the program. Deya Allen, who wants to start a career in dentistry, is hoping to complete her second internship at a dentist office. Last year, she completed the internship on her own, and now she has the chance to do it through WPHS and add to her experience.

“I really hope to just get in-field experience,” said Deya. “I interned at my dentist’s office last spring break. So, I kind of hope to just keep picking up that momentum and to keep learning.”

Natalie Ballin, a senior at WPHS, wants to pursue a career in health due to her experiences having medical problems growing up. She is hoping to take advantage of this program to help her get started on that goal.

“I want to just understand what it would be like to be in the workforce,” Natalie said. “I've worked a couple of jobs, but a lot of them were minimum wage jobs, where I was working as a waitress or server,” she said. “So, I want to understand what it's like to pursue the actual career I want and see what it's like.”

Two individuals, one wearing a black jacket and the other in a suit, are engaged in a conversation at a desk in an office setting.

Each student with an internship will be assigned a mentor at WPHS to help advise them through the process. Last year, there were 37 students who completed internships, and Mr. Hirsch expects a similar number to go through the program this year.

For students who have not secured their placements yet, Mr. Hirsch assured them that any internship will be a great opportunity. It will also be a great experience to add to their resumes.

“I can tell you that any experience is good experience,” he told the students.

Mr. Hirsch and Ms. Little then passed out a questionnaire, listing available internships that students could pivot to if their first choice didn’t work out. They also met with students individually to discuss what might interest them most and their next steps.

Students will meet one more time during Tiger Community Time on March 26, and then they will be prepared to begin their internships. At the end of the school year, the seniors will give presentations about their takeaways from the experiences during a gallery walk.

Two women in a professional setting, one wearing glasses and the other with a ponytail, are engaged in a discussion at a table with documents in front of them.