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Sometimes, opportunity dwells just down the street. Twenty-two rising seniors from the Futures Academy at Jane Long Academy are discovering this truth through pharmacy technician internships at Walgreens locations across the city.

The Long students involved have all taken dual-credit pharmacy classes at Houston Community College (HCC). They will receive additional credit from HCC upon completing their internships at Walgreens, which could easily lead to pharmacy technician jobs or scholarships to attend pharmacy schools. Two interns, rising seniors Marilyn Mendoza and Jonathan Urguilla, have already received job offers from the stores at which they are interning.

The students’ time at Walgreens has also given them a deeper understanding of medicine and a new sense of confidence in their pharmaceutical knowledge.

“I learned that I have to be really careful with what I do, such as choosing the right medications, because these are real patients who need their medications to feel better,” said intern Yara Soto.

Keri Wittpenn, the assistant principal of Jane Long, has been traveling around Houston documenting her students’ achievements by taking pictures.

“When visiting the students, I noted a strong sense of pride and accomplishment in their demeanor,” said Wittpenn. “They are really proud of participating in this opportunity; their only complaint has been learning how to stand up all day.”