As I contemplated my summer plans last spring, I looked forward to balancing my free time between flipping through pages of a romance novel and casually paddleboarding with friends. I never imagined waking up at 5:50 a.m. and putting on a blazer to prepare for an internship.

This summer, I found myself ferrying to San Francisco to meet my boss, the Chair of Medical Device Screening Committee at Life Science Angels (LSA), with men and women who appeared to be at least three times my age. As a part of an angel investment group, I looked forward to learning more about due diligence and the process of supporting startup companies that produce biotechnology or medical devices.

A significant part of my internship was listening to meetings and conferences about autism. My very first meeting revolved around finding a solution to support parents, teachers, and others involved with autistic children. After being informed about autism, I met with individuals who are passionate about changing the way parents and teachers interact with autistic kids.

I was asked questions that had never crossed my mind: What if we could use a virtual-reality headset like the Oculus Rift to interact with autistic children more effectively? How do you visually illustrate where your child falls on the autistic spectrum? How do you combat the statistic that one of every 68 U.S. children are autistic?

Questions similar to these brought a new dimension into view and I understood the complexities of the business world. Because I developed useful skills at LSA, I recommend my peers to have the same experience I had. All high schoolers should search for internships because they will mature and enrich their ability to think critically, find solutions, and ask important questions as they are exposed to various perspectives and ideas.

While the majority of algorithms, science, and investments were too complex to understand, I still enjoyed the exposure to cutting-edge technology and new ideas. During my time at LSA, I developed time management skills and learned how to search for similar products that competed against the companies we were screening. This knowledge will unquestionably be practical in the future.

Although my summer wasn’t as relaxing as I expected, I greatly appreciated my time at LSA. I gained an insight on the dynamic of professional relationships and how to work efficiently.

Interning made me realize something important that affects every student: school actually has a purpose; it encourages students to pursue a field that sparks their interest. While most people agree that education opens up many options, being an intern clearly showed me that hard work pays off.

High schoolers who are fortunate enough to intern may not use specific skills that they master until they have a stable job. However, the skills and consciousness that they develop during that time may be translated to their schoolwork. I have already begun to manage my time more efficiently and volunteer to improve the school community through Link Crew and Leadership.

While I was fortunate enough to have access to an internship, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that some companies are disposing of their internship programs all together. That said, some businesses are developing paid internships, but those are mostly for college graduates. As a result of fewer internship availabilities, fewer high schoolers will gain experience in a field of interest and develop new skills.

Redwood High School’s internship program is an exception to this national trend; the total number of student internships this last year has increased to 74 from 20 two years ago according to Greg Davison, who works in the Marin County Office of Education. However, this may simply be due to the increased awareness about internships and not the amount of internships available.

High schoolers should take charge and seek out companies that hire unpaid interns in order to pull ahead of the curve. The skills that they will develop will undoubtedly help them in the future.