Making the Most of Your Experience

This week went by very quickly, but I may say it was very productive. My internship in DC has been a great hands on learning experience. In my TWC course we spend the first few minutes of class discussing how our internship experience is going. Although good and bad experiences have been highlighted, most found that the work they did was very useful. I believe that wherever you do an internship, you can make the most of your experience, whether you are just filing and answering phones or you are doing something that is part of a bigger picture. One student knew that the extensive copies she was making were important for lawyers who had to go to court. I believe that students should take initiative in order to get involved with more activities. DON’T just assume there is nothing to do; ask. Taking initiative is one of my personal goals this semester. Sitting around waiting for someone to give you something to do is not the best way to approach an internship.

After about 6 weeks with my position, I believe I am developing more knowledge about the organization and its mission. I have ventured into the world of non-profits, a huge sector in Washington, DC. I have worked for non-profit organizations before, but never in DC. Through attending meetings, I have gained the confidence and knowledge to engage people about my organization. There was a meeting for non-profits dealing with Africa a few weeks ago in which I was asked to stand in for my president. Being surrounded by presidents and executive directors of other organizations was rewarding, but it was quite nerve-racking to hear the amount of knowledge they had to offer. I was asked to give a synopsis about my organization, and although I was nervous, I viewed it very positively.

Being a tourist on the way to meetings

This week I was able to attend a Charity Fair in Virginia on behalf of my organization. I have never taken part in a Charity Fair before, so I did not know what to expect. This was a good opportunity for me to learn through observing how other organizations were putting their name out in the public eye in order to gain funding. I found it exciting to educate people about issues in Africa and to spread the mission and goals of FDA.

I have always wanted to some day create my own foundation, so I have taken a lot from this experience. The skills I have collected through my work here will be transferable to future positions.

After six weeks I am still a tourist

Speaking of making the most of my experience, I recently went to my first DC Happy Hour. Many students from Washington Center go to Front Page on Thursdays. I was able to meet a lot of new students from the program and catch up with other interns over cheap food and drinks. I definitely have been missing out for the past few weeks because Washington is known for having great Happy Hours. I do concur!