Redwood High School senior Lily Zapata, ’26, turned a semester internship into a paid summer experience and a $1,000 scholarship from Groppetti Automotive for her standout performance in customer service.
By Staff Reports
Redwood High School senior Lily Zapata receives a $1,000 scholarship from Groppetti Automotive in recognition of her outstanding performance as a work-based learning intern. Presenting the award are Work-Based Learning Coordinator John Tyndall (right) and Auto Technology Instructor Mr. Cox (left). The scholarship honors students who go above and beyond in their internship experience, connecting classroom learning to real-world industry skills.
Redwood High School senior Lily Zapata, ’26, turned a semester internship into a paid summer experience and a $1,000 scholarship from Groppetti Automotive for her standout performance in customer service.
When most people think of auto internships, they picture grease, tools, and torque wrenches. For Lily Zapata, ’26, the work was about something else—communication, professionalism, and showing up with a smile.
“My teacher sent out an email to everybody and just told them everyone that they could apply for this, and that they’re granted something at the end of it,” Zapata said.
“And I wanted to get in just to have something like work experience, so it looks good on my resume and it would help me later down the line with my career. It let me get that customer service experience.”
At Groppetti, Zapata did far more than observe.
“I just did a lot of cashiering,” she said. “I would check people into their appointments and I would also promote the sales that we currently had. And then I would also work in the back on occasion as well.”
The experience wasn’t easy.
Balance was a challenge, Zapata said. “Because I was in service sales and they communicate with everybody in the dealership. A challenge is making sure that everybody knew what was going on or what needed to be communicated to everybody.”
She said she learned that not every experience would be positive. Some customers were difficult, and some situations were frustrating, but she had to figure out how to handle challenges professionally—communicating clearly, staying calm, and helping everyone work together so the job got done smoothly.
Despite the challenges, Zapata said the experience helped her grow personally and professionally.
“I learned a lot. I’ve always been really social, but I did this to put myself out there,” she said. “Even now, I still have a lot to learn about cars, but you’re never going to learn those things unless you put yourself out there and step out of your comfort zone.”
When asked whether she would encourage other students to apply for similar opportunities, Zapata didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah, I would,” she said. “It’s really rewarding in the end. It gave me a foot in the door of what to expect when you start working, and it also helped me realize what I do and don’t want to do in a career.”
Staff Reports
Tags: Auto Shop, gropetti, internship, redwood high school visalia, visalia, visalia unified, work based learning
