High School Internships: Archit Malik

Don’t underestimate the value of high school internships. We’re shining a light on these valuable experiences by telling the stories of students around the state. Be on the lookout for additional blog posts about high school internships.

For many students, the summer between high school and college feels like a time of waiting and anticipation, but for Archit Malik, it’s a time of doing and learning. He’s working as a legal intern at The Garrett Companies this summer, where he’s gaining experience in real estate development before starting his freshman year at IUPUI next month.

Born in India, Archit moved to the United States when he was five years old and has lived in five different cities around the nation since then. Perhaps this resilience is what helped give him the confidence to jump into an opportunity at The Garrett Companies this year. He was connected to the company through its president, Eric Garrett. Eric happens to coach the Center Grove cross country and track teams, which Archit joined last year. After completing a job shadow at The Garrett Companies last fall, Archit decided an internship would be a good way to experience professional life before college. It’s given him a better idea of what life after school could look like and helped him begin learning about his field of interest even before classes start.

As a legal intern, Archit is witnessing the process of a property development from its initial purchasing agreement and learning the role of the legal field in real estate. Although it’s been exciting to discover opportunities in an unfamiliar industry, it’s also been challenging to be so immersed in the legal field. Archit says the most difficult part of the experience has been not knowing legal terms or processes. But his tactics to overcome these challenges are exemplary: he keeps a list of legal terms and their definitions as he learns them, as well as a log of the work he does every day. These simple strategies not only help him during his internship right now, but will certainly come in handy when it’s time to update his resume and apply for his next internship later.

Archit’s advice to high school students considering an internship? “Just go ahead and do it,” he says, because an internship provides the opportunity to experience a career before actually deciding to pursue it. During high school, Archit considered many potential careers before settling on one – but even then, he didn’t know exactly what that would mean for his future. “This internship gave me crucial insights into the legal field and life beyond college.”

The best part of this internship for Archit has been the professional lifestyle it’s given him, he says. Through meetings with his supervisors, other interns, and different departments, he has been able to learn not only about the company but also himself. “I’ve implemented several changes in myself to be more professional, time-efficient, and well-organized.” This experience is preparing him well for his future.

At IUPUI, Archit will continue to compete in cross country and track while pursuing a major in computer science and a minor in economics. His plan is to attend a prestigious law school after earning his undergraduate degree and then pursue a career in IT law, combining his passions for computer science and law.