DAKOTA Waring is not your average 17-year-old with the inspirational teenager working hard and firmly focusing on a bright future.
While other teens are enjoying a day at school or planning their weekends, Dakota is memorising job codes and learning about accounts receivable in her internship with local organisation United Synergies.
Dakota is a student at the Noosa Flexible Learning Centre (NFLC) for two days a week and juggles her homework with a three-day finance internship where Dakota said she was learning invaluable skills for her future.
“You mature a lot more, this job has really made me feel more prepared for the workforce,” Dakota said.
“This is everything, I have new skills and an opportunity, I’m 17 and the opportunity I have is amazing.”
United Synergies finance manager Toni McMullen said Dakota was recommended to the organisation by staff at NFLC.
“Dakota earned the internship by putting herself out there and working hard,” Ms McMullen said.
“We approached NFLC and they recommended Dakota because she had applied herself so well to what she was doing at the school and they were so impressed.
“They knew she had the maturity, would be committed to the role and that she would thrive.”
Dakota said although her role was overwhelming at first she had been able to quickly learn new skills and enjoyed her days in the office.
“When I first started, I had never done anything like this, and it was really stressful, but once you do it you relax and get used to it,” Dakota said.
“I’m not sure what I want to do when I finish school, but with this internship I will have qualifications and I can look at a career in many different areas.”
