21 Mar From Intern to Lead: Austin Lind
How a summer internship led to a leadership position
What started for Austin Lind as a temporary internship turned into a job overseeing a $1.5 million division at Anchorage’s Alaska Dinner Factory.
Austin is honest when he admits, “When I first started working here, I wasn’t all that enthused. I don’t think this is a place I would’ve picked on my own. So [the Youth Employment Program] really helped me broaden my horizons.”
As a YEP intern, Austin got his foot in the door as a dishwasher with the Alaska Dinner Factory. That’s one benefit of working with CITC’s YEP: Austin’s case manager not only helped him find a job he might not have considered otherwise, but first made sure the internship would be a good fit, and then arranged his interview.
YEP connects youth with early work experience while encouraging employers to empower youth by reimbursing the intern’s salary. Through benefiting the intern and the employer, YEP grows Anchorage’s workforce and supports young people as they work toward self-sufficiency.
Austin had moved up from dishwasher to cook when Dinner Factory General Manager Keon Hall started working with him.
“He just really liked food—he liked to cook and experiment,” Keon said. “My background is as a chef, so I started doing some real one-on-one training with him. And it just progressed that within that first nine months, he became the lead. Now he’s leading the Senior Meals division and he’s got a lot of responsibilities. He’s coaching others. Seeing that growth from day one when I met him to now—it’s mind-boggling.”
Not every internship turns into a years-long career. Austin completed his first YEP internship at a local coffee shop, then started looking for more permanent work. When he couldn’t find a job, he reapplied to YEP.
The rest is culinary history. At just 22, Austin is only at the beginning of his career—but he’s enjoying where he’s at, leading a team of employees and helping fulfill the Dinner Factory’s mission: to get families back to the dinner table.
His plans for the future? “I just want to make great food,” said Austin.
The CITC Youth Employment Program’s Summer Internship is now open for applications! Learn about the internship, then apply before April 4: Visit myCITC.com and search for “youth paid internships.” Questions about YEP: Email youthemployment@citci.org.