Editor's note: Masconomet senior Kristina Bond will spend the next six weeks in The Salem News newsroom as part of her high school's internship program. This is her first story. She will be joined next week by fellow senior Maria Costigan.

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BOXFORD — As an alternative to spending their last six weeks of high school taking tests and attending scheduled classes, many seniors at Masconomet Regional High School have begun six-week internships, where they will be exploring potential career interests.

From recording a piece of music to fundraising for charity, the opportunities Masco's seniors have chosen to pursue are endless.

English teacher Deborah Shapiro has run the program for the past nine years. The program began with the League of Women Voters and then became a work-study program that involves more than half of Masco's graduating class each year.

"The program gives seniors an opportunity to explore areas of interest that might define them when they go to college and begin their careers," Shapiro said. "It gives seniors a break from the traditional school setting and gives them an opportunity to enjoy the final weeks of their senior year."

Each student or group of students is assigned a mentor — a teacher or staff member at Masconomet with whom they keep in contact throughout their internship.

At the end of the six-week program, each senior will present a project showcasing his or her accomplishments. This Internship Exhibition will be held in the field house at Masconomet on June 2 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

In addition, each senior will write a paper about his or her internship, which will be turned in to his or her mentor and used to determine the final English grade for senior year. The paper is designed to not only allow students to reflect on what they have accomplished, but also describe why they chose to pursue their projects.

While the students complete their on-site work, each will be working with a guide, someone who is an expert in the field in which the student is working.

This year, more than 300 of the 313 members of the senior class are participating in the internship program.

While some seniors are unable to participate because of academic reasons, they can still spend time learning about their areas of interest.

"This year, students (who are unable to participate in an internship) will choose an area of interest and work with that teacher in that subject area and with their English teachers to put together a project that they will be proud to display at the exhibition," Shapiro said.

Shapiro said the most rewarding part of the program for her is when interns return to school to exhibit their projects and to witness the enthusiasm they express about their experiences.

Students are pursuing a wide variety of internships.

Elizabeth Lang will be working with Rick Morgan at New England Biolabs in Ipswich. According to Morgan, Lang's project involves using "many molecular biology techniques, including PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA preparation, enzyme assays and DNA sequence analysis." Lang will get to do things in the lab that she doesn't have the resources to do at Masco.

"I really wanted to take something out of my internship experience and have it be memorable. Since I have always enjoyed science, I figured New England Biolabs would be a great experience," Lang said. "Not just because I'll be able to learn more about molecular biology, but also because this internship will give me my first hands-on experience to figure out if this is a possible career for me."

Jacquelyn Shea has been working on her internship throughout her senior year. Her project was planning the internship program and final exhibition along with Shapiro.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity to work on my organizational skills," Shea said. "I think our internship program is an excellent opportunity for students to get out in the real world and see what it is they want to be doing with their lives, or what they don't want to be doing."