Kyleah’s 2023 Summer Plans
By Kyleah Bodden
As a high school student who travels quite a distance for school and always wishes the weekends were a smidgen longer, I look forward to being able to immerse myself deeply into my community during the summer. This summer I plan on attending Buy Black NB’s Dream Makers’ Market, working with Mass Hire as part of their youth employment program, continuing to intern at Buy Black NB, and exploring the local activities New Bedford has to offer.
Buy Black NB’s Dream Makers’ Market on Thursday, July 13th is going to be a great opportunity to support local youth entrepreneurs. Especially as an Our Sisters’ School alumna, it will be exciting to see current students selling their own items and learning the ins and outs of being a business owner. Last year, I was unfortunately only able to attend for a short time, but look forward to experiencing the market in full this year. Not only is this market a great opportunity for vendors to reach a wide variety of possible customers, it’s an excellent opportunity for potential customers to scope out a range of businesses and services all while supporting local entrepreneurs. With music, performers, and other activities, it’s sure to be a family-friendly event for all ages.
Applying to Mass Hire is an excellent way for young people to integrate themselves into the workforce and master certain skills that will be integral for employment opportunities down the line as well as general skills that have the ability to be carried throughout life. This will be my second year working with them and I’m eager to build upon all that I learned through last summer’s program.
I hope to re-integrate myself into New Bedford’s deep culture and take advantage of the fun and exciting events and opportunities. Taste of Southcoast for example is something I’m definitely looking forward to. I think that people assume they have to travel far for a vacation, but enjoying a “staycation” in New Bedford exploring our city’s beaches, food, history, and culture is just as fun and right in our backyard!
Finally, I plan on continuing my internship at Buy Black NB throughout the summer. The multitude of skills and lessons that I have learned throughout this internship have the ability to truly fuel me through my future endeavors. I’m excited to gain all that I can with this opportunity. Be on the lookout for future blog posts from me throughout the summer!
Read more about Buy Black NB’s next summer event, the Black In Business Juneteenth Vendor Market on June 17th here.
