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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.

One thought on “New Intern, New Outlook

  • Well I’m pleased to hear that you were not discounted because of age, gender, or membership in any other social group that – studies show – can sometimes be treated differently. That’s a wonderful start to your internship experience. I’m not sure I would categorize this as personal contribution; perhaps you were uncertain as well since it is also listed as uncategorized. But I can see how your insight into leadership studies and the ways in which different groups of individuals can be treated inequitably is a personal insight you are able to make in regards to your site. I encourage you, as the internship continues, to think about personal contributions in regards to some of the elements in the prompt as well (e.g.observations and/or perspectives you have shared that have changed and/or enhanced projects, events, efforts, processes; ways in which your insights about leadership have contributed to individual and/or team efforts and work; opportunities you would like to secure for yourself that will enable you to contribute to particular projects, events, programs, etc.) as I think such reflections will be useful to you when you write your final reflection this summer and complete the academic assignments in the fall.

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