For 19-year-old Kjuan Williams, the PepsiCo PREP Internship allowed him to gain valuable work experience while having the chance to step into a professional environment, build new relationships, and discover the importance of speaking up and asking questions.

A South Side Chicago native and current student at Daley College studying Electrical Engineering, Kjuan learned about the internship through SWOP Employment Organizer, Quabeeny Daniels, who reached out to him about the opportunity and helped connect him with the program. From the beginning, Kjuan was encouraged to think about the kind of position he wanted and even had the opportunity to identify the type of mentor he hoped to work with. Through the program, he was paired with Javar Coleman as his mentor.

When Kjuan first received the opportunity, he admits he was nervous. He expected the internship to be a straightforward experience of simply being told what to do and following instructions. Instead, his first two weeks introduced him to a supportive group of people from Ladies of Virtue, who helped interns become comfortable in a professional environment through icebreakers, team-building activities, and opportunities to get to know one another.

“To be honest, it was great,” Kjuan said. “When I first got there, I was a little nervous and, in my head, I was thinking this was going to be straight forward, to do what I'm told as I'm told but with the support I got, it felt more like they were guiding me on what I wanted to learn.”

After completing the initial two weeks, Kjuan moved into his designated work location at a PepsiCo warehouse, where he had the opportunity to meet and work alongside people from across the company. What stood out most to him was the willingness of people in different departments and positions to help him learn.

“I was in one space, but when I spoke with others from different departments, they were always willing to help and guide me in a way that I had never expected,” he said.

That support helped Kjuan develop one of his biggest takeaways from the internship: never be afraid to ask questions.

Entering a new professional environment can be intimidating, especially when you do not want to feel like you are bothering someone or slowing them down. But rather than allowing that uncertainty to hold him back, Kjuan made a conscious decision to ask questions whenever he needed clarification.

“When you’re in a new space you don't want to feel like a burden, but you also don't want to feel lost,” he explained. “So, I took advantage of that and asked as many questions as possible so that I could to make sure I was able to keep up.”

Through the experience, Kjuan picked up new skills—being chagred with helping with mapping processes and helping improve product efficiencies while strengthening skills that he plans to carry with him into his education and future career. He developed stronger communication skills, gained confidence, learned how important teamwork is, and became more comfortable working with people regardless of their position within an organization. He also gained practical skills, including creating presentation slides and working with Excel spreadsheets.

The PepsiCo PREP Internship is designed to provide young people with meaningful professional experience while helping them develop the skills, relationships, and confidence needed to navigate the workforce. Through hands-on work experience, mentorship, professional development, and exposure to a corporate environment, PREP gives interns an opportunity to learn directly from professionals while gaining a better understanding of what it means to build a career. For participants like Kjuan, the program creates a bridge between their education and the professional world while surrounding them with people invested in their success.

Looking back on his experience, Kjuan shared a simple message for other young people who may be considering an internship through PREP: “Just do it.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “Before the first meeting, they prepped me and let me know that these are people who care and are invested in you. I guarantee you will have a good experience overall. They make sure that you have exactly what you need to be able to grow.”

Kjuan also made sure to recognize the people and organizations that helped make his experience possible.

“I can’t stress this enough, so I want to shoutout the people who made this possible—from SWOP, to Pepsi, and the family members that supported me through this,” he said. “From every organization, and Pepsi, they did everything they could to make sure this experience was something to be remembered.”

As Kjuan continues his studies in Electrical Engineering at Daley College, he leaves the PREP Internship with more than a line on his résumé. He leaves with greater confidence, stronger communication skills, new professional relationships, and the understanding that sometimes the most important thing you can do in a new environment is simply ask a question.

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