Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is one of our foundational partners, hosting six Birmingham Promise interns since 2020 and donating $2 million to our programs. Recently, the company shared a story about the intern it hosted this semester, Wenonah senior Rayne Miller.

“Rayne (brought) a fresh perspective to our communication campaigns,” said Denise McFadden, a Human Resources Department Manager. “By hiring these interns, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is not only investing in the future workforce but also showing a commitment to the community.”

Click here to read the full story, and join us in saying thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama!

IMC Financial Consulting was proud to be among the very first companies to welcome a Birmingham Promise intern when the program began in 2019. Since then, the company has continued to participate in Birmingham Promise, hosting interns and contributing to its mission year after year. It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey, the company said.

“Birmingham Promise is a remarkable program that unites an entire community to support the dreams of our young people,” said Isaac Cooper, IMC’s founding partner. “I am proud to be part of its mission.”

IMC Financial Consulting began in 2016, and it provides tailored education, tools and expert financial guidance to individuals across all levels of wealth, but with a particular focus on guiding those at lower income levels, which aligns well with the work of Birmingham Promise.

“At IMC Financial Consulting, exposure is one of the three core pillars driving our mission,” Cooper said. “We saw the Birmingham Promise apprenticeship as a perfect opportunity to live out that value in a meaningful way. Our goal was twofold: to give our interns a front-row seat to best practices in business, relationship-building, and problem-solving, while also gaining valuable insight into their perspectives—the challenges they face and the fresh, innovative solutions they bring. It’s a two-way street that enriches both our team and the next generation of talent.”

Interns who work with IMC Financial get exposure to entrepreneurship and community impact.

“They will learn to manage their time, resources, and relationships to achieve goals within a team environment that requires initiative and fosters connections with people from diverse backgrounds,” Cooper said. “Ultimately, I hope interns will envision themselves and recognize the possibilities for their future through every opportunity and experience IMC Financial Consulting provides.”

Among other things, interns at IMC Financial Consulting have produced and curated original content focused on financial literacy from a Gen Z perspective by interviewing their peers through engaging games and discussions.

“These videos showcase our interns’ creativity, joyful personalities, research skills, and ability to use their voices while creating space for others to share theirs,” Cooper said. “It has been an honor to mentor and guide our interns on their journey to adulthood, and it has been gratifying to learn from them and witness their growth in new skills and opportunities.”

The Birmingham City Council has a long history of hosting student interns, but it is in its second semester of partnering with Birmingham Promise. Having hosted eight Promise interns last semester and five this semester, the Birmingham City Council says it can see mutual benefits of working with a constituency group that deserves attention.

“These students have excelled in the classroom as evidenced by their grades and college scholarship offers, so working here allows us to show them what service looks like, the broad range of career opportunities that are available, and hopefully lead some of them to find their place in government, as an employee or elected official,” said Jeffery McDaniels, deputy council administrator for the city.

The Birmingham City Council is the legislative branch of Birmingham city government, and it is made up of nine council members elected from districts across the city. The councilors work closely with the mayor’s office, city staff and other municipal leaders to address a wide range of issues affecting Birmingham residents and businesses.

An internship with the council gives students a chance to see how city government works and to see the opportunities that exist for public service. However, the goal is to give the students something that will serve them throughout their careers, whatever the future holds.

“We want the students to have a better understanding of municipal government at the conclusion of the internship, a challenging, yet memorable professional experience, and to know that we are committed to helping them realize their dreams,” McDaniels said.

Elisabeth French has served as a Jefferson County Circuit Judge since 2010, and in 2020, she became the first female presiding judge of the 10^th Judicial Circuit, a leadership role she continues to play.

For the past two years, she has also hosted interns from Birmingham Promise.

“I want to support the city’s programs that are designed to influence our next generation of leaders and responsible citizens,” Judge French said.

She believes high school students have much to gain from spending time in a professional setting, including a judicial office like hers.

“I want the interns to see the inner workings of leadership,” Judge French said. “I want them to have insight into what day to day life looks like after high school, college and graduate studies, from daily decision making and establishing professional relationships to accountability.”

Circuit courts in Alabama have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, and Judge French’s 10^th Judicial Circuit is the largest in the state.  As Presiding Judge, she supervises the circuit and district courts in Jefferson County, but she also presides over trials and has resolved thousands of cases.

Despite her professional expertise, Judge French believes she has something to learn from interns as well. “My office benefits from having a fresh perspective from a new generation of leaders,” she said.

Dunn Construction Co. is a new partner for Birmingham Promise, and it is hosting its first intern this semester.

“We feel it is important to serve our communities and youth by making them aware of the employment opportunities we provide,” said Amber Kinney, vice president of Human Resources for Dunn.

Dunn is part of the oldest contracting businesses in the U.S. It was founded in Virginia in 1878 as a railroad construction company. In the early 1900s, Dunn moved its headquarters to Birmingham, where the company undertook the construction of a tunnel through Red Mountain, which for years served as the young city’s sole fresh water piping source from the Cahaba River.

Today, the company is honored to be a part of the Birmingham Promise program and to contribute to its mission.

“We hope our interns gain meaningful hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and build relationships that will support their career growth,” Kinney said. “In turn, our company benefits by fostering the next generation of talent and gaining fresh perspectives that enhance our work environment.”

The partnership is aligned with the larger values and legacy of the company.

“Service to our customers, employees, communities, and shareholders is the foundation of our business,” Kinney said. “In that service, we deeply value honesty, excellence, and continuous improvement, and we commit to working together fairly and, most importantly, safely — holding these values for the common good.”

Founded in 1951, Birmingham Water Works serves nearly 770,000 people in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, and Walker counties. Since 2023, it has provided internships to Birmingham Promise students, hosting five high school seniors every spring.

“This gives us an opportunity to engage in the community and show our support to the city of Birmingham,” said Jeremy D. Ervin, who is the workforce development administrator for Birmingham Water Works and a graduate of Birmingham City Schools. “There were a lot of people who poured into me when I was in high school, but nothing like this where students can get real-life work experiences.”

Birmingham Water Works wants to make sure its interns get that real-life experience in areas ranging from customer service to compliance and beyond. “These kids are super smart,” Ervin said.  “By the time the students complete their internship with us, we want them to go into the workforce prepared, not only with the core competencies but for the work itself.”

However, soft skills are a key focus. Once a week, interns email Ervin to share what they’ve learned. It’s not just a feel-good exercise, but one that gives Birmingham Water Works a chance to assess and hone students’ workplace communications skills, which will help them succeed in any career.

 “We especially love when the interns come back to pursue additional opportunities with us, including Birmingham Promise students who have come back to work summers as college interns,” Ervin said. “We see this as a potential recruiting pipeline for us. Our interns can become great ambassadors for the work we do.”