Through a summer internship at Raritan Headwaters, one student discovered new skills, explored her interest in marketing, and gained valuable experience for her future pursuits.

This summer, Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) was pleased to welcome Kristen Corrado of Basking Ridge to our team as a marketing and education intern. From creating educational materials to helping prepare for community events, Kristen contributed to a wide range of projects while developing professional skills, building independence, and exploring her career interests.

A senior at Ridge High School, Kristen joined RHA through the Center for Educational Advancement (CEA), a nonprofit that helps students with disabilities gain meaningful employment experience.

As a hard-of-hearing student, Kristen brought her perspective, enthusiasm, and determination to the experience. Throughout the summer, she learned not only how an environmental nonprofit works but also about her strengths, interests, and professional goals.

Kristen shared that one of the challenges she sometimes faces in school or in a job is asking for more information or for someone to repeat instructions, for fear of being judged. She is working on advocating for herself even though it may feel uncomfortable at first.

A Summer of New Experiences

When Kristen first considered an internship at Raritan Headwaters, she was especially excited to explore marketing.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn marketing for an environmental nonprofit organization,” she shared.

Although she expected to focus primarily on marketing, she soon discovered that nonprofit work involves a wide variety of responsibilities.

Throughout the summer, Kristen designed flyers and presentation slides, researched local plants and wildlife, and created educational resources for visitors and campers. She also helped develop sensory garden guides, entered information from research documents, organized educational materials, and prepared classrooms for programs.

These behind-the-scenes contributions helped RHA’s education team create welcoming, organized, and engaging spaces for visitors of all ages and abilities.

One of Kristen’s proudest moments came while she organized and cleaned three classrooms used for environmental education programs.

“I thought I was making a real contribution to people who would come here,” she reflected.

The experience also let her expand her knowledge of the natural world. She learned about native plants, wildlife, and conservation, including discovering that some wild plants are edible.

She particularly enjoyed participating in ShedFest, a community event where she connected with familiar faces and spent time with others.

Building Skills for the Future

Beyond learning about environmental education, Kristen developed practical skills she can carry into college and future employment.

She gained experience with Canva and Google Sheets, two digital tools she had not used before, while strengthening her written and verbal communication skills.

Just as importantly, Kristen learned to take responsibility for her schedule, manage assignments, and communicate professionally with colleagues.

“The internship helped me become more independent in taking responsibility for punctuality, projects, and scheduling, and in practicing clear communication to express my needs effectively,” Kristen explained.

Coordinating her work hours to meet the internship’s requirements was one of her challenges. Rather than letting scheduling difficulties become an obstacle, Kristen worked with her supervisor to communicate her availability, resolve issues, and develop a plan.

Through this process, she gained experience advocating for herself and taking ownership of her professional responsibilities. She also came to appreciate the importance of teamwork.

“Kristen observed, ‘It takes everyone’s communication for the nonprofit organization to function.'”

These lessons helped her better understand professional workplace expectations and the many roles that contribute to an organization’s success.

“Kristen brought a thoughtful, enthusiastic approach to her internship. Over the summer, I watched her grow increasingly confident in managing her responsibilities, communicating her ideas, and taking ownership of her work. Her contributions made a meaningful difference to our education programs, and I am excited to see her continue developing her talents in college and beyond.” — Lauren Theis, Director of Education, Raritan Headwaters

Creating Opportunities Through Partnership

Kristen’s internship was made possible through CEA’s Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) Paid Community Work-Based Learning Experience.

The program provides students with disabilities, ages 16–21, with opportunities to develop workplace-readiness skills in real-world community employment settings.

Participants complete 12 hours of preparatory instruction before beginning a 150-hour paid work experience. The program emphasizes communication, teamwork, professionalism, problem-solving, independence, and self-advocacy, while providing individualized guidance as students work toward their goals.

Laura Clarke, Kristen’s advisor at CEA, supported her throughout the experience in collaboration with RHA’s education team.

For Kristen’s mother, Janice Corrado, finding a workplace where her daughter could build confidence while exploring her interests was especially important.

“Kristen had the opportunity to thrive in a career path she is passionate about while receiving mentorship from both Lauren Theis, her RHA supervisor, and Laura, her job coach at CEA,” Janice shared.

“Lauren’s warmth, enthusiasm, and genuine commitment to understanding Kristen’s personal goals created a foundation of trust for her very first internship,” Janice shared.

Janice also emphasized the value of the practical workplace experience Kristen received, from managing her schedule and communicating with colleagues to developing digital media skills and contributing ideas.

Partnerships like this help create pathways for students to discover their strengths while making meaningful contributions to their communities.

Looking Ahead

As Kristen reflects on her summer, she recognizes how much she has grown, both personally and professionally.

The experience solidified her interest in studying marketing in college and gave her a clearer vision of the work she hopes to pursue.

She also developed a deeper appreciation for the natural places around her and the importance of caring for the environment.

“My internship taught me that protecting the environment is significant because without wildlife, we wouldn’t have a future,” Kristen shared.

When asked what advice she would offer another student considering an internship, her response was simple: take responsibility and don’t procrastinate.

And when asked what she hopes to carry forward from her summer at Raritan Headwaters, Kristen offered a sentiment that captures the spirit of lifelong learning:

“I hope I continue to grow and learn after this experience.”

We are grateful for Kristen’s contributions to Raritan Headwaters and proud to have played a part in her journey. We look forward to seeing where her curiosity, creativity, and determination take her next.

To learn more about the Center for Educational Advancement and its Pre-Employment Transition Services, visit CEA’s website at cea-nj.org.