At Genesys Works, our mission is to provide pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships.
Our proven model not only changes the future trajectory of students’ lives, but also has a ripple effect in their families, communities, companies, and society at large.
2020 was not business as usual; it was a time of uncertainty. It was also a time when the mission of Genesys Works was the most critical for our young professionals, and school and corporate partners in the National Capital Region.
During this unprecedented time, I could not be more proud of the support and innovations of our staff and stakeholders. 100% of our Young Professionals successfully graduated from high school in 2020, and 90% enrolled in college. Our corporate partners stayed committed to employing change by continuing and renewing their internships, allowing our motivated Young Professionals to keep contributing financially to their families. As our partner high schools were figuring out how and when students would return to in-person learning, we worked with them to make it easier for our Young Professionals to earn and learn during their senior year. Genesys Works NCR Staff adjusted and adapted our programming, allowing our Young Professionals to graduate their senior year having: successfully completed professional development training; received college credits through Strayer University online IT courses; earned virtual internships with our corporate partners; and having had the opportunity to gain two Google professional certifications in IT Support and Automation in Python.
Hector Izara Xon is a Class of 2021 senior at Justice High School. He is currently an Intern at Intelsat, working as part of their Help Desk Team, and is also completing a Google IT Support Certification course through our Upskills Program Track.
“I have learned so many things from Genesys Works, which I will use both in the workplace and school. I’ve learned about work ethic, time management, and how to properly communicate with my peers and supervisors.”
After graduation, Hector plans to pursue a degree and career in Computer Science. Genesys Works is supporting his goals with ongoing training, including an IT certification course, an intern placement at Intelsat as well as providing support for college scholarships and preparation for college.
“Genesys Works is honestly such a great opportunity to be a part of. Genesys Works helped me grow as a person and I will be forever grateful for such an amazing opportunity.”
Vince Abanilla is an Alumnus of Genesys Works and is currently attending George Mason University. He is also a full-time employee at Intelsat, where he previously interned. Vince takes an active role in mentoring current young professionals Hector Izara Xon and Luis Ortiz Lopez.
“I joined Genesys Works because my parents pushed me to give the program a chance. One of my proudest accomplishments was being offered a full-time position with Intelsat as a college student. I am grateful for my Manager, Kevin Williams, because he has continuously put me in situations where I can grow and expand beyond my comfort zone. He believed in a high school senior who was shy and had no knowledge of IT. But due to Kevin's optimism about me and my potential, I was able to gain experience that will help me in life and in my career.”
Luis Enrique Ortiz Lopez is an Alumnus of Genesys Works, having previously interned at Intelsat and now working with Turner Construction Company.
Genesys Works helped me to lay the groundwork of a solid foundation, which I have built on and used to grow my skill sets and improve myself. My internship at Intelsat when I was a Young Professional helped me to get out of my shell and work on my communications skills. I was scared initially. I was only an intern and I thought I was just going to be doing basic tasks that would not really help the team. But I was wrong! They treated me like a team member, and they put a lot of faith in me and my ability to get tasks done. I am proud that my team had that faith in me.
I am also proud of all the skills that I learned during my time at Intelsat, and the mark I was able to leave there. That would not have been possible without the support of my internship manager at the time, Kevin Williams, and the amazing Help Desk team at Intelsat. It also helped that Vince Abanilla, a fellow Genesys Works Alumnus, shared his experiences with me so I could get the best out of my internship.”
Tasmia Dia works with Luis at Turner Construction Company as a Finance Administrative Assistant and is also a former Young Professional. She is currently finishing her undergraduate degree at George Mason University.
“I decided to join Genesys Works because I thought it would be a great way to expand my network and gain experience in the work world and technical skills. Additionally, the thought of someone guiding me through the college process was comforting. At Genesys Works, I not only learned technical skills but also professional skills. All the skills that I have learned have helped me to get where I am today. Without the professional and technical skills learned from Genesys Works, I would not have been able to be a part of a great company like Turner Construction now.
Genesys Works is opening doors for young professionals like me. It’s really amazing what the organization does for young students. I made some lifelong friends during my training and internship at GW, which is something I will forever be thankful for.”
Justin Nixon is a Class of 2021 senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy. After some initial struggles, Justin successfully completed summer training, earning college credits from partner Strategic Ed/Strayer University and completing a professional certificate. He is currently working on another professional certification through our Upskills Program and earned an internship with Kirkland & Ellis.
“I was encouraged to join Genesys Works by my school’s Vice Principal, Lauren Johnson, who has given me nothing but great advice and guidance. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn and experience something different than what I was used to; and I was right. I gained so many invaluable skills and knowledge, which allowed me to flourish at my internship with the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, and in my own personal life.
I'm most proud of learning the necessary skills to become a better communicator. I used to struggle with communicating effectively, and the impromptu speeches and constant communication with Genesys Works staff and fellow Young Professionals helped me to get better and has proven to be beneficial in every aspect of my life.
My experience with Genesys Works has been nothing short of amazing. My drive to be a better student, professional and person has gone up because of everything that participating in Genesys Works has offered. I plan on continuing to gain new skills, experience new things, and learn new things, so that my future is one that I can be proud of!”
Isabel Hanson is the Manager for IT Service Operations for Strategic Ed/Strayer University. In addition to hosting two interns in 2020, Strayer partnered with us to implement a virtual upskills curriculum for Young Professionals, including online modules in IT, data science, programming and project management. Students who completed these modules during summer training not only strengthened skills needed for their internships, but also earned valuable college credits.
“What I’ve found to be the most valuable aspect of Strategic Ed/Strayer’s partnership with Genesys Works has been our ability to give youth a true sense of what real life and a real work environment is like, and to show them that high school and college aren’t necessarily enough to properly prepare them for the future they want to have.
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I believe the best way to practice workforce development is by hiring candidates based on their qualifications and experience. Genesys Works contributes to creating not only a diverse workforce, but also a qualified and experienced workforce, through intensive training and professional development of its Young Professionals. The relationship between Strategic Ed/Strayer and Genesys Works is strong, and I believe there are more teams within Strategic Ed/Strayer that would benefit from partnering with Genesys Works.
Every Genesys Works Young Professional I have worked with to date has been hard-working, dedicated, and shown a great attitude and interest in succeeding. They have all been wonderful to work with, and I look forward to working with more GW Young Professionals in the future!”
