College students begin summer internships at Dallas nonprofits through ExxonMobil program

By LINDSAY RUEBENS Staff Writer lruebens@dallasnews.com Published 07 June 2011 01:47 PM At age 8, Ashley Bonnin lost her mother, cousin, two best friends and her own right foot in a train accident. Now a senior at Southern Methodist University, the Memphis native recognized her calling to help children with tragic pasts like her own. Shes taking the first step on that career path by participating in the ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program, which kicked off Tuesday morning with 60 interns working at Dallas nonprofits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Hispanic College Fund and the Genesis Womens Shelter. This summer, Bonnin is interning at Friends of Wednesdays Child, a nonprofit that serves foster children through education, medical and clothing programs, and also celebrates their life milestones. I can identify with them, Bonnin said of the foster children shes working with. Its really important to be able to relate to kids if you want to help them. At Tuesdays reception at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the 60 college students, who will each intern for different nonprofit organizations, heard about the programs 40-year history. Though the initiative started in New York, ExxonMobil began a Dallas internship program in 1990, and since then, 1,535 students have participated. Internships are paid, and this summer ExxonMobil has funded $230,000 for the program. Edwin Flores, a trustee for the Dallas school district, addressed the crowd and told the interns that they and the people theyll serve are all leaders. We need to be measured by those who are weakest in our society, Flores said, charging the students to make a difference this summer and to empower others. Mayor Dwaine Caraway also attended the reception and said he looks forward to the contributions of the students, whom he referred to as new citizens. Its a bridge-builder, he said of the internship program. It begins to steer new citizens in the right direction and continues to make Dallas an even greater city.