Camden High School -

In December 2023, the Camden Central School District announced the launch of its innovative school-to-work internship program with International Wire. Fast forward to June 2025, and the program has its first graduates.

Seniors Todd Willson and Jacob Lago became the first two students to finish the program, which offers a unique opportunity for ambitious and motivated students to see the inner workings of a worldwide company close to home, and do it while receiving school and college credit through Mohawk Valley Community College.

Throughout the year, both students spent a portion of their day working with staff in their chosen discipline, and gaining valuable professional experience to prepare them for higher education and careers. In many cases, they completed tasks typical of an employee at the company.

Willson completed a Business Management internship with the company and was engaged in all aspects of accounting and finance. He completed numerous hands-on projects including reconciliations, cash applications, and accruals, among others. While the knowledge he learned in Camden High School business classes set a strong foundation, he was certainly taken aback by the dollar amounts he was dealing with versus his classroom assignments.

“The coolest thing is getting to actually see the numbers they have here,” he said. “They’re astronomical. You go from bookwork where the numbers are actually quite small, to seeing what they have here and it’s amazing.”

With the year in the rear view mirror, he reflected on a rewarding experience that will pay dividends in his immediate future studying accounting and finance at Nazareth University, and toward his long-term aim of owning a business.

“I wanted to get some real life experience so that I could tie it into classroom knowledge I already had, and it also looks very good on a resume’,” Willson said. “It was definitely a great experience overall. I got to see the workflow of an actual business, learn their etiquette, and about business terminology I never knew before.”

Lago completed a manufacturing and engineering internship with the company, where he immersed himself in the heart of operations at the nation’s largest non-vertically integrated producer of copper and copper alloy wire products. He learned about various engineering disciplines including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and process engineering, and worked closely with the dedicated professionals that keep one of the region’s most important economic engines running.

Whether it was observing the planning process for manufacturing operations, creating machine parts using 3D printing, or developing a new lightweight anode for wire plating to elevate safety on the factory floor, Lago found himself working toward solutions daily. The experience will serve him well as he prepares to enter the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program.

“It’s definitely been a good thing,” Lago said. “You’re getting hands-on experience and building connections that will help you in the future.”