High School Students Showcase Real-World Skills

For 15-year-old Brianna Cruz, the summer before her sophomore year at Pathways Academy of Technology and Design in East Hartford was spent learning and working in a unique internship experience.

“I was assigned to work at Travelers for a project called Exploring Economic Indicators,” Cruz said during ReadyCT’s G.R.I.T. Summer 2025 showcase.

Cruz is one of more than 100 high school students who took part in this year’s G.R.I.T. (Get Ready! Immersive Traineeship) summer program.

The five-week paid internship program offered students opportunities to work on real-world projects for employers.

Project Showcase

The students presented their projects during the Aug. 7 showcase at Pathways Academy.

“This was my first time working in a professional setting,” Cruz said.

“This is a direct connection to our employer partners.”

ReadyCT’s Shannon Marimón

“My team had to research different economic indicators, such as the stock market, GDP, and tariffs and assess their relevance and then help Travelers determine their pricing.”

“This is a direct connection to our employer partners,” ReadyCT executive director Shannon Marimón said during the showcase.

“Our goal at ReadyCT is to address your needs as employers so that you can be part of preparing your future workforce.”

Program Growth

Now in its fourth year, G.R.I.T. has grown each year to now include 14 different companies and organizations.

ReadyCT also partners with four Greater-Hartford school districts.

Marimón called the program “a bit of a flipped internship.”

Teams of four-to-six interns go to ReadyCT each day for structured support and guidance.

The students also consult with representatives from the different companies throughout the project.

“Our whole team of people is dedicated to helping people learn and giving them the resources they need,” said Travelers’ Brian Murray.

“To see high school students doing this work kind of on their own—this is really a student driven project—it’s just incredible.”

Employer Partnerships

Other employers taking part include CBIA members Hartford HealthCare, Connecticut Children’s, EY, and The Hartford.

CBIA also partnered with ReadyCT on a G.R.I.T. project focused on the organization’s Customer Relationship Management system.

“I was really impressed with how the students embraced the project,” said Matt Howe, CBIA’s senior vice president for products and services.

“There are so many ways to be successful in our world.”

Marimón

“They asked meaningful questions to understand the project and the importance for us as the end-user—they offered us some great insights that we can use moving forward.”

Marimón said while the program provides employers with tangible value, it also gives students important skills for their future careers.

“There are so many ways to be successful in our world, and we want to show that we honor and celebrate every single one of those pathways for young people,” she said.

Valuable Skills

Cruz said she first learned about ReadyCT through one of her teachers.

“I’m very big on my future,” she said. “So, I knew that just getting all this information and knowledge is going to benefit me a lot.”

When she started working with Travelers, Cruz said she expected it to be like a school project.

But, as she worked with her team, they realized the impact of the research in a real-world setting.

“I’m going to take these skills that I’ve that I’ve learned and apply them.”

Pathway Academy’s Brianna Cruz

“Just having these new connections and professional connections as well with people at Travelers—that’s such an amazing achievement that I never thought would happen,” she said.

Cruz said the G.R.I.T. experience gave her valuable experience, including helping her leadership, public speaking, research, and collaboration skills.

“I’m not done with high school yet, and I’m going to take these skills that I’ve that I’ve learned and apply them to classroom settings and projects, which I think is just so beneficial,” she said.

“I think anybody deserves to have an opportunity to like G.R.I.T.”