YOUTH Look at Morgan!

If someone would have told Morgan Takae Smith as a child that she would be one of the faces of a major technology company, she wouldn’t have believed them. A girl once bullied over her acne, Smith is now an intern at Audible and is featured in their local ad campaign

Newark-based Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon and is the largest audiobook producer in the country. Smith is one of 70 Newark high school students who participate in the company’s yearround internship program.

The internship has gotten Smith model-ready and exposed her to coporate life. Prior to beginning her internship, Smith was set on a career as a makeup artist.

“Audible exposed me to things I wasn’t exposed to before in business,” she said. “I always thought business was super boring and wasn’t anything enjoyable.” But through her internship, Smith was able to see what goes on behind the scenes with large projects and the hard work that goes into them. She has assisted with projects like Audible’s website, Audible Range, and others.

Smith grew up in the Ivy Hill section of Newark. After graduating high school in 2019, she hopes to attend Howard University and major in marketing.

—Interviewed by LaToya Harris

Name: Morgan Takae Smith

Age: 17

Occupation: Intern at Audible

Hometown: Newark, NJ

School: Science Park High School

Grade: 12th grade