[zachlatta]

I run https://hackclub.com and have worked with a bunch of people in your situation (and used to be in it myself, I left high school after my freshman year to work in Silicon Valley). I know how painful it can be to be on a non-traditional path, but you should also recognize that it is your greatest asset.

The honest reality of the situation is that internship “programs” for high schoolers do not exist. Occasionally you’ll see large employers like GE, Whirlpool, and defense contractors running high school internship programs, but they’re universally terrible. Their incentive for running the programs is to say that they “give back” to their community, not to foster talent – and the quality reflects that.

When a path does not exist, create it. If you talk to people that work in technology, you’ll find that nearly everyone gets their jobs through referral. You should cold-email founders, hiring managers, and engineers at companies that you’re interested in. Get on a phone call with them, meet them in-person, and create the internship that you want to participate in.

I can help you write cold-emails and form a strategy to make sure you have an internship this summer. I know that every situation is different, but I’d highly encourage you to consider internships in a city like San Francisco or New York. You’ll meet a ton of people way smarter than you and be exposed to a million different viewpoints.

My email is [e-mail]. I’m also happy to put you in touch with a bunch of people from Hack Club that have gone down this route and can share their experiences.

[closetCS]

Thanks so much for your help, I will definitely contact some people in the industry and try to find some options for this summer. I am currently looking at Apple summer camp, and I will look around your website and try to find an internship.

[zachlatta]

Want to schedule a call so we can get into specifics? If interested, just shoot me an email.