New Intern, New Outlook

On my first day of work this Monday, I was excited and nervous for what was to come. Like so many young interns, I was ready to contribute, ready to learn and ready for the valuable experience I was about to embark on. Yet, there was something inside me, a sense of fear – as a leadership studies major I understand the many roles gender, age, and stereotypes can play in a work environment – and I was scared to be immediately put into a box like so many young women before me. But, to my pleasant surprise, upon my first day of work I was quickly proved wrong. People were excited for my new, youthful outlook and the many contributions they hoped I would make. I felt valued by my peers, and challenged by my work environment. My first week’s experience contradicted so many things I believed from all the theories I’d learned in my studies – in the best way. I anticipated challenge due to my age and gender, but instead I have been embraced for the unique contributions I can make because of those things. I expected a system of ranks, but I quickly felt that my supervisors respected me as a peer rather than their subordinate. My experience this first week has prompted me to think about my leadership studies and their role in working environments in a different way – instead of being scared of becoming proof of a theory, I can embrace the challenges to help change those theories, and I feel that my internship at INTA is a supportive and nurturing environment that will aid me in my this mission, ultimately expanding my knowledge and understanding of the study of leadership in the working world.