St. Gregory senior April Brown dusts a mirror at Once Upon A Time, where she also helped organize costumes, worked with clients and did paper work during her 30-hour mandatory internship. She found the experience valuable, even for a music teacher — her current goal.

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St. Gregory College Preparatory School students worked off-campus this month in internships, part of a graduation requirement introducing them to possible careers.

They worked longer than two weeks in doctors' offices, art galleries, television stations and other businesses, getting a glimpse into potential careers while learning about the workplace. Fourteen of the students traveled to Kenya with a school dean and worked with elementary school children.

The 44 students will make presentations to the school's underclassmen this week as part of their final project, said the internship program director, Robert Mossman, an English teacher.

"They've been studying for 12 years and now it's time to see the real world," Mossman said.

The project began in January with the students researching various careers before writing proposals in March. They chose their own internships and contacted the businesses and agencies on their own, Mossman said.

The students who traveled to Africa took a semester-long course on East African history and also learned Swahili, he said.

"We're very open-minded, as long as it makes educational sense," Mossman said. "We want them to take risks and be in the community."

Susan Heintz, upper school head in charge of the high school, said the students get to try out certain careers before they decide to pursue them in college. "Some kids might try a career and find out something valuable — they might not like the career."

Some of the students wanted to do a job that allowed them to have fun and pursue personal interests.

April Brown, 18, worked at Once Upon A Time, helping set up children's dress-up parties while doing less glamourous tasks such as inventory, dishwashing and data entry.

Brown said she picked that business, which hosts children's parties and etiquette workshops, because of her fascination with princesses and the color pink. But she quickly realized there was more to the business than princess gowns and tea parties.

"A lot of people think it's fun, but it's a lot of work," she said. "It's not just glamour and playing with nail polish all day."

Unlike many of her classmates, Brown already has a job — at a Jerry Bobs restaurant. Yet she learned valuable lessons about workplace relationships, she said.

Brown's experience was valuable because she wants to be a music teacher. "This helped solidify what I wanted to do. I love kids, so I knew I'd love it," she said.

Peter Michalak, 18, loves science and sports, so his stint at an orthopedic surgeon's office seemed like a perfect fit.

"He sees a lot of sports injuries, joints and ankle injuries," Michalak said. "It's kind of good to see how everything is done. It makes it more familiar to me."

Michalak spent most of his time with Dr. James Hess, following Hess as he talked to patients, tested for injuries and took X-rays.

Michalak said he became pretty proficient at determining the injuries.

"He asks me what I think is wrong, and most times I'm right," he said.

Michalak will prepare a slide show for his classmates, including some X-rays and MRIs to show them, he said.

"It's pretty complicated. I know why you have to go to school for so long," he said.

His experience did not deter him from his goal of becoming a doctor, however.

"It really gives you a chance to see if you want to do it," he said. "It's a good way to leave high school and mature."