Myrtle Jones has had a wealth of life experiences.  From 23 years at Global Marine to climbing the ranks at Halliburton to become the Senior Vice President of Tax, her decision to move into accounting was unconventional.  

Myrtle tells about how this came to pass in an interview by two Genesys Works high school interns, Crystal Gurrola and Jacob Ramirez.   “In high school, one of her friends didn’t want to be alone in a book keeping class so she begged and begged Myrtle to join her.”  Little did she know, but she had stumbled upon her future career.  In college she majored in accounting and participated in a work study program which Crystal says, “helped her keep a tight schedule and focus more on school rather than social things.”

This work study program gave her irreplaceable life experience and is part of why she strongly supports the Genesys Works program.  Myrtle understands the value of an internship for the intern but also for her company.

The Genesys Works program takes low income, underserved youth who have a drive to change their futures and who without a motivational model may not be successful in reaching their goals.  The program offers them professional and technical skills training paired with a meaningful high school internship at a major Houston company.  It’s a rigorous program but as Jacob says, “with the goals I have set for myself, no one can stop me on the way to the top.”

The supervisors they work with and the opportunities they have for real-world experience during their internship have a significant impact on the road to success for these young people, “interviewing Myrtle… gave me more confidence to be a better person,” according to Jacob.  Crystal says, “She helped me to realize that I need to chase my dreams and work my hardest,” to achieve them.

Halliburton currently hosts nine interns in their senior year of high school from Genesys Works – Houston.  Students attend school in the morning and work 20 hours per week for their internship companies.    It’s not just about the community factor,” Myrtle says, “it’s about meeting the needs for the company by building a diverse pipeline of talent for the future while making a positive impact on the community.”  “Make investments, not mistakes.” A powerful piece of advice from Myrtle which carries across all parts of our community; from the companies who invest in internships and support development of a diverse pipeline of talent, the interns who invest in themselves and take the step to a brighter future, the individuals and companies who invest in their community with time and resources to ensure Houston has an educated and well-equipped workforce.

Genesys Works is currently seeking internship opportunities for our class of 2016 interns who will be placed in August of 2015.  Contact us immediately to learn more or to request  interns for your company.