Xaverian internships give students a career head-start

January 19, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Xaverian senior Randy Antoun got a bird’s eye view from atop the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, thanks to an internship program at his school. Photo courtesy of Xaverian High School

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Randy Antoun, a senior at Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge, is on his way to the top. Well actually, he’s already been there. The top of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, that is.

Antoun, who is leaning toward pursuing a career as a civil engineer, recently spent an internship with Northeast Structural Steel Inc., a steel building company based in Mount Vernon, New York.

“My internship in civil engineering took my education to unimaginable heights – literally. I was able travel to the top of the Verrazano Bridge and examine its suspension cables and beams up close,” he said.

Antoun was one of several students who took part in the Internship Program at Xaverian (IPAX), a course of study that allows them to work alongside mentors in various fields to get a taste of what it would be like to work in those professions.

Antoun thoroughly enjoyed his time at the top of the bridge.

“This was just one of many truly unbelievable experiences I took part in through my internship. I was actually doing real engineering work involving physics and algebraic geometry. Next summer, I will be working Northeast Structural Steel Inc. again, but this time in a paid position, as the youngest engineer on their job sites,” said the confident senior.

Open to students in Xaverian’s Honors Program, IPAX is designed to help students make well-informed decisions about their future majors in college and investigate potential career paths. IPAX places students with mentors (who are often Xaverian alumni) in their desired fields of interest. The list of organizations that partner with Xaverian includes companies from the worlds of architecture, engineering, journalism, law, business, medicine, dentistry, the arts, politics, the military and law enforcement.

Located at 7100 Shore Road in Bay Ridge, Xaverian High School is a Catholic school for boys. The school also offers Genesis, program for middle school students.

Patrick Coen, a 2014 Xaverian graduate, is currently majoring in engineering at the United States Naval Academy. During his internship year at Xaverian, he worked at Greenman Pedersen Engineering.

His mother, Kathleen Coen, said she was glad he got the opportunity to spend time at the engineering firm.

“Patrick and another student were mentored by a partner there who provided a fascinating insight into the daily workings of a major engineering firm. They gained exclusive access to a high security project to protect the Brooklyn Bridge from terrorist attacks. They toured the construction site at the World Trade Center,” she said. “After each visit, Patrick would talk for days about how interesting it was.”

For more information on Xaverian’s internship program, visit www.xaverian.org/ipax.