Author: Harrison Baer
Five months ago, I was knee-deep in the most challenging academic endeavor of my life. After a shaky report card the previous semester, I desperately needed better grades. Despite my battle with school, I decided to add another brick to my bag. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
It was a mundane day in class until my teacher asked us this:
“Who’s looking for an internship?”
Immediately I made one of my ridiculously weird and concerning facial expressions. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. But a cute girl in front of me raised her hand. Mine shot up moments later.
Then came the stressful part. The job hunt. The details are boring, so here’s an outline: IT internship, writing a cover letter and resume, applying, and interviewing. It was the only application I sent for the summer.
The organization was a small non profit, and their mission was to welcome the international community and introduce their unique cultures Upstate residents. It sounded cool, but I had no idea what it meant.
The job description was heavily focused on computer work, it frightened me. I’m not a tech guru, and I had only taken 2 intro computer classes. Although I managed to handle my computer-related tasks over the summer, that wasn’t my most significant achievement or takeaway.
The truth is, not much IT work was done. Sure, I dabbled in website maintenance and took apart a computer, but those tasks paled in comparison to my other responsibilities.
Given my interest in starting a nonprofit in the future, the task of grant research and writing was assigned by the boss. If anything was learned this summer, it is that grant writing is more boring than staring at a wall. Don’t tell my boss. I did do it though, and for a first attempt, the results weren’t too shabby—a $1,000 grant from Walmart. Now we wait for TD. That was the big boy: $7000.
My coworkers/superiors were all friendly and instructive. Working closely with the Executive Director, who has been with the organization for nine years, provided valuable insight to the daily operations of running a nonprofit. She didn’t get upset with me too many times, but whenever something went through my right ear and out the left, she would remind me. Just helpful nudge for someone who can be a bit forgetful.
In addition to other tasks, I focused on enhancing our social media presence. A new Facebook page was launched, now boasting around 200 followers and daily content after the old one was hacked. Instagram also saw growth, with an increase of about 200 followers, and a few posts became some of the most engaged content in the account’s three-year history.
While those tasks were impactful and valuable learning experiences, the most meaningful work came through writing. The joy of tapping away at a keyboard was rediscovered, and it just felt right.
The first project was a blog about Upstate International’s hallmark event, Salsa at Sunset. Friday nights at camperdown plaza were flooded with smiles, and this needed to be understood. Initially, there was uncertainty about what to write, and for a moment I considered abandoning the project altogether. But after sitting and staring at the computer screen for a while, inspiration struck, and the words began to flow.
The Secret of Salsa was well received by its readers, but, as the old saying goes, everyone has a blog in them. Repeated success was required to prove to myself I could write well. The next post was about a seemingly trivial yet impactful interaction in a pub in England. This piece also resonated with readers, offering reassurance in my writing skills.
But among all the summer’s accomplishments, one stands out above the rest: I gold medaled in changing someone’s perspective.
After the second article, a friend reached out saying he loved the articles. Then he sent me this –
“The recent article entirely changed my perspective on how I interact with strangers.”
This. This is proof that I did a good job this summer. This made me proud. This is how we should treat each other.
Although my initial reasoning for getting an internship was to not embarrass myself in front of a cute girl (shaky morals, I know) the experience ended up being invaluable. Lessons were learned about nonprofit operations, the global community in the Upstate, and the interconnectedness of our world as a whole. However, the most important lesson is this –
If you want to impress a cute girl, go get an internship. You may not get the girl (I did not), but there’s a good chance you’ll find something you love.
