Located across from the counselor’s office lies Lisa Smythe-Rodino’s office. Rodino works as the School to Work Coordinator at AHS. This job includes helping students connect with businesses, as well as figuring out their next steps after graduation.

“I love Arlington… just having the opportunity to bring the community together and realizing that even if it’s not the best fit, students learn something,” Rodino said.

Since taking the job, Rodino has spent time building the internship program, connecting businesses in the community with students in the high school. 

“She set up the interview with the operations manager at the place I interned at,” Ethan Morris (12) said. “She set up my career. I mean the internship got me a job after high school.” 

Morris spent his summer completing an internship with Everett Engineering. Rodino helped to set up the arrangement as well as introduced Morris to his future boss. 

“It makes me realize what I want to do,” Morris said. 

Rodino also helps students who do not have as strong of an idea as to what it is they want to do. 

“I have zero experience in gardening,” Lizzy Cowling (12) said.

Cowling completed an internship with Andrew’s Hay over the summer, working in the community garden. 

“I could not have done it without [Rodino], she was just handling everything,” Cowling said. 

Cowling had not originally planned for this internship. She was intending on doing an internship with a different group, but that fell through. Rodino found a fix for her to try something new. 

“I think doing this internship really helped me see how nonprofits work. I do want to do community food banks and nonprofits in general. It was a really great experience to see all that.” 

Rodino offers new opportunities to students, just wishes more students would take advantage of that. She offers meeting times during lunch every week.

“I think unfortunately sometimes the students don’t take advantage of the opportunities I have for them… I would love to see students more engaged,” Rodino said.