In a packed room of excited students and their proud mentors, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews addressed a group of high school students who successfully completed their Urban Alliance (UA) internships throughout Virginia. He spoke about his own introduction to the working world as a young man in Syracuse, N.Y., and the powerful lessons he learned from that experience. Andrews stated, “It is not where you start—it is where you finish.”  

The Urban Alliance program kicked off at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 12, 2015, with Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. In its second year of operation in Northern Virginia, the Urban Alliance High School Internship Program has doubled the number of youth internships this year, with the addition of the USPTO’s participation. This year, the USPTO was the largest employer of UA students in a single job location in the country, with 20 students in related positions in Northern Virginia. . On July 31, the entire Northern Virginia UA program, comprised of 48 students from a variety of organizations, attended a closing event at the USPTO along with their mentors. 

The USPTO works with Urban Alliance as a “job partner” to provide a meaningful and paid work experience, as well as mentors and coaches to help students develop professional skills. For most of the UA students, their work at the USPTO was not their first job as many have been helping to supplement their family’s income since they were old enough to work. UA currently partners with organizations in four regions including  Washington D.C., Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and Chicago. 

During the closing event, Oliver Farley, a student in Arlington Career Center’s Academic Academy, spoke about his USPTO experience working with Alford Kindred and other patent examiners in Technology Center 2100. During his internship, Oliver learned about prior art, practiced his presentation skills, and attended meetings with patent examiners. He shared with the audience that six months ago he never could have imagined himself as a straight-A student, class president, and a valuable contributor to a professional work environment. Oliver spoke of the transformative effect this work experience made in his life in just a short span of time, and the effect his mentor Alford Kindred had on him.

As the July 31 program came to a close, Deputy Secretary Andrews urged the students to take advantage of every contact and opportunity they acquired during their experience, as they might come into play down the road. Deputy Director of the USPTO Russ Slifer thanked them for their work and service to the agency, and encouraged them to continue their education and professional development.