Oronde Henderson served as an intern with the Minority College Relations Program (MCRP) in 2022 and the relationship proved mutually beneficial.
“The Minority College Relations Program gave me a plethora of resources that prepared me to pursue a federal career, if nothing else, the MCRP provided me with the experience of working within a federal setting, which fueled my desire to work in civil service,” said Henderson, who now applies his skills at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
This is one of many success stories from the MCRP. This internship gives minorities across the United States exposure to a variety of civilian jobs. The program places students in commands and job areas that align with their college majors, minors, and/or concentrations for 10 weeks. Interns have the chance to build connections, improve resumes, participate in mock interviews, network, and discover an interest in different fields of a federal career.
“The Minority College Relations Program is a program that builds relationships between federal and Army agencies through connecting with students who attend minority serving institutions. This creates a strong internship through the enhancement of diversity in the civilian workforce,” said Aimee Bland of Joint Munitions Command (JMC), who serves as MCRP team lead.
The MCRP has been around for over 30 years and originally started with two participating commands (Army Sustainment Command and JMC) and 10 interns. The program is increasingly growing, developing, and thriving and has grown each year to four commands and 36 interns.
First Army is participating in the program for the second year in a row. Col. Michael Adams, former chief of staff, believed that the MCRP would bring value to First Army. “The more diverse the people are inside of an organization, the more effective and informed it will become, because different perceptions of problems can form great solutions,” he said.
First Army’s summer 2023 interns nearly doubled the number of interns that were here in 2022 (expanding from six to nine). The interns have had the chance to connect and sustain great insight from last year’s interns, better known as the “First Six.” The First Six included Ton’nyce LaGrone, Oronde Henderson, Michael Quinones, Deundra Ray, Anne Revolte, and Dhamin Alam. These former interns were able to give details on expectations, guidance tools, available opportunities, and their very own success stories to the present interns. Michael Quinones, one of the three returning interns at Rock Island Arsenal, has returned to First Army for a second year. Quinones currently works in the intelligence and security department after working for the IT department a year ago.
“I returned for another year to continue to develop my skills, rekindle connections, and build more relationships,” Quinones said. Quinones is highly interested in pursuing a federal career after his first experience of the internship. “First Army provided me with the necessary information that enhanced my hands on and technical skills in a very interesting and teachable manner.” The mentorship and guidance Quinones received from the previous year drew his interest in possibly applying for a permanent job with the federal government.
The leadership of First Army informed the 2023 interns on what to expect during their 10-week experience. That information included preparation for a federal career, importance of building relationships, and success tools. Diversity and inclusion represent key factors at First Army because of the positive work-place environment they bring.
“The MCRP promotes diversity by bringing younger talent from interns with different educational backgrounds, that helps us incorporate those skills into our departments which is very beneficial,” said Ronnie Coney, lead intern program manager and deputy director of intelligence and security for First Army.
The knowledge and influence that these leaders have on their interns are significant because it prepares them for their future careers as well as their everyday lives.
Social Sharing