How an Internship Worked to Benefit an Online School Student: DISTRICT C

August 25, 2025 byPhil Davidson

3 min to read

Jonathan Conner, an intern at Connections Academy

When Jonathan Conner, a high school student at Georgia Connections Academy, was given the chance to take part in a unique internship called Teamship, he was more than interested. He was genuinely excited.

Jonathan knew that Teamship, created by an organization called District C, offered a different kind of internship experience—one in which teams of students are coached to solve real problems for real businesses. In a nutshell, Teamship helps prepare students for our tech-driven world by helping them develop a very human skill highly valued by today’s employers: how to work as a team to solve complex problems.

Using Internships to Become More Open-minded and Less Shy

The company Jonathan’s team worked for offers a program for online clothing retailers to enable shoppers to virtually try on clothing before deciding to buy it. Jonathan’s team was tasked with solving an important problem the company was facing.

“Many people would use [the service] to virtually try on various outfits but wouldn’t purchase the product,” reports Jonathan. “And if they didn't buy anything, [the company] wouldn't make any money.”

Like his schoolwork at Connections Academy, taking this problem was also hosted online.

“Our team met on Zoom three times a week for four weeks,” said Jonathan. “Each session would last about two and a half hours. For the first 30 minutes, we’d listen to a lesson explaining how to use certain tools and get useful tips on how to collaborate. We used Google Docs so the business partner who worked with us was able to see what we were doing. At the end of each day there was a chart that would give us encouraging messages because they saw how hard we were working… stuff like, ‘Keep up the good work. I liked how you did so-and-so.’”

Collaborating in this way allowed Jonathan to use familiar technology to show off the skills he learned in online collaboration in a practical, real-world way.

“I would typically have to speak up to share my ideas and suggestions [during the internship], and I'd also have to stay open-minded. Doing this helped me become a better leader and get out of my shell. I'm not that shy anymore.”

Coming Up with Real Solutions to Real Problems

Finally, the day came for Jonathan’s team to present their ideas.

“I was really nervous on pitch day and had a difficult time trying to speak in front of everyone,” reports Jonathan. “But I felt like I did a pretty good job. I made friends with everyone on the team, and we all felt like we did well. I really enjoyed Teamship and I would like to do it again. It does a good job of building leaders and helping introverts get out of their shell. It also helps people learn to come up with practical ideas that solve problems.”

At my old [brick-and-mortar] school I was more introverted and shy. But after this experience I know I don't have to be that way, that I just need to stay confident.

— Jonathan

Opportunities like District C’s Teamship are just one of the many College and Career Readiness programs Connections Academy schools offer to help prepare students to succeed. Whether a student is planning to attend college or immediately join the workforce, our schools provide meaningful opportunities, guidance, and support. Learn more about what Connections Academy can provide for students by downloading our free eGuide.