Nicholette Rodgers, a senior in the Santa Maria Joint Union Home School Program, has recently been awarded an internship at the Santa Barbara County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Teen Court.
Rodgers will, in addition to working a part-time job and attending school, come in 20 hours a week to Teen Court.
“It’s meant to be youth driven, so it’s extremely important to have young people like Nicholette in and around the office contributing their ideas and being a part of the program development,” Teen Court Program Manager Crystal Moreno said in a statement. “When she comes in, she is always happy and more than willing to help in any way she can.”
As an intern for Teen Court, Rodgers will be responsible for compiling case summaries, entering data, preparing court documents, and teaching first-time jurors’ class.
The first-time jurors class is meant to bring the 12 Angry Men out of clients by informing them of the rules of the court, good questions to ask, and questions that aren’t appropriate to ask in court.
“Next time they serve on juries, [our clients] will be better equipped,” Rodgers said in a phone interview, explaining the first-time jurors class. “They won’t just blank out and not know what is going on.”
Teen Court has allowed her to see first-hand the learning possibilities for those who come to Teen Court. As a part of Teen Court, she can “see how first-time offenders are provided an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.”
As for Rodgers, Teen Court also changed her. By interning, she’s learned how to better act in situations and not succumb to peer pressure.
Ever since her internship’s start in February, and her start as a juror in November before that, she’s learned a lot, ranging from effects of drug use to some Spanish skills.
As an intern, she’ll be reevaluated in six months for analysis of whether or not she’ll continue in the program. However, if that reevaluation were today, Moreno would gladly have Rodgers stay.
“We are keeping her,” Moreno said. “She does a great job; she’s a great asset.”
As of now, Rodgers is deciding whether to study psychology with a minor in sociology or criminal justice.
School Scene is compiled by Intern Henry Houston. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Mar 24-31, 2011.