Higher Promise Intern Thrives at Kalamazoo Valley

A dream of excelling in a career in education is one of the aspirations that inspires 20-year-old Higher Promise Intern Kambell (Kam) Fosness-Bartee. Through her internship with Kalamazoo Valley this summer, she has gained a deeper understanding of working in an educational environment.

Founded last year by the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship for graduates from the Kalamazoo Public Schools district, the Higher Promise program supports Kalamazoo Promise students with paid summer internships closely related to their areas of study. Local organizations and businesses take part in providing employment opportunities and mentorships for interns.

Fosness-Bartee is a junior at Michigan State University and is pursuing a degree in Secondary Education with a pre-concentration in leadership administration. Her internship at the college has been a hands-on learning opportunity in her educational journey.

"It's impacted me so much in a way that I am learning from the second I walk in to the second I leave, every single day," Fosness-Bartee said. "A goal of mine is to be an administrator. Having higher education knowledge opens my doors a little more and broadens my perspective to different levels of education."

The Higher Promise intern has mapped out a detailed career plan with milestone goals. She hopes to become a high school principal, an administrator and a superintendent, though does not limit herself to those ideas. A long-term dream of Fosness-Bartee's is to establish a youth development program.

Fosness-Bartee reports to her internship mentor Nkenge Bergan, associate vice president for student development services. Through the experience, Fosness-Bartee not only gained a valuable mentor, but also a network of employees and administration who have been an integral part of her career development.

Fosness-Bartee has shadowed numerous departments, including Student Development Services, Instruction and Student Services, Facilities Services, Diversity and Inclusion, Finance and Business, KVAAP and Institutional Research. Most recently, she has been working with the Marketing Department and the KVCC Foundation. She will eventually work with IT and Human Resources and concludes her internship on Aug. 3.

"It's not like I'm in an academic program where I am just learning book knowledge, this program is molded and formed around what the student makes it," Fosness-Bartee said. "My experience working at Kalamazoo Valley and learning the different departments under higher education is so different and customed to myself."

To learn more about the Kalamazoo Promise and the Higher Promise program, click here or email promiseservices@kvcc.edu.