Gaining real-world experience.

Our cover subjects Raymond J. McGuire and William M. Lewis Jr. have more in common than just investment banking. They both work to cultivate and develop young black talent in their profession. BLACK ENTERPRISE embraces that idea as well, and practices it.

Each year, we give a select group of college students and recent grads the opportunity to work in our summer internship program. This year, we went a step further and invited New York City-area high school students to intern here as part of CAPITAL (Corporate Allies Program of Internships, Training and Leadership), a program that gives high school students the opportunity to gain real-world work experience.

Three young professionals worked alongside our editors as researchers and reporters to produce content for both the magazine and black enterprise.com. They were Chauntelle Folds, a 2006 graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in journalism; Michelle J. Nealy, a senior at Howard University pursuing a degree in print journalism; and Mashaun D. Simon, a 2006 grad uate of Georgia Perimeter College with a degree in journalism. High school students assisting in the editorial department were Barry Bowman, a junior at Environmental Studies High School; Steven Orr, a junior at Bronx Theater High School, and Rachel St. Claire Simmons, a sophomore at The Spence School.

Our internships are about more than just filing, faxing, and fetching coffee. As you read this issue, you'll see articles written by our interns. And their learning experience doesn't stop there. When the program ends, many of them continue to contribute to the magazine between semesters. Some even come back to work for us after they graduate.

Internships help young people prepare for the job market and gain a competitive edge, and our commitment to helping develop these young professionals is evident throughout the company. Vesna Hunter, a senior at Temple University majoring in tourism and hospitality management, and Mikal Welch, a 2006 Fordham University graduate with a degree in business administration, helped Black Enterprise Events plan such functions as our annual Entrepreneurs Conference and Golf & Tennis Challenge. Our corporate communications department gave Kristin Mair, a junior at Morgan State University majoring in business administration, the opportunity to see how the business of BE gets branded. Aziza Taylor, a senior at the University of Nevada majoring in journalism and media studies, assisted with our forays into television: Black Enterprise Report and Our World with Black Enterprise.

And what did the youngest minds take away from the experience? "I saw firsthand what it takes for a company to be successful," says Simmons. "This unique opportunity has greatly prepared me for the future."