She’s the Intern

           I have yet to determine what is more unique: the fact that I am the first ever intern in my department or the fact that I am the only intern amongst a bunch of other student workers my age. Both of these facts present challenges in different ways, but also provide a rare chance for me to forge my own path and hopefully set a more structured program for interns to come. In terms of being the only intern among my other student coworkers, I often struggle with a bit of guilt because my tasks are often a bit more complex and creative than the monotonous but necessary tasks they perform. My varying tasks are often accompanied by frequent questioning from my coworkers who are genuinely curious about what I am doing, especially in terms of what differentiates my role from their own. The truth is that due to the brand new nature of this position, there really is no clear cut definition of what differentiates my role from my coworkers, but the title of ‘intern’ creates a slight sense of pressure for me to prove to my coworkers that I am doing valuable and important tasks. In the future, I hope this position has set tasks that define the intern role to clarify any misconceptions between the general student workers and interns in order to avoid jealousy or frustration.

          The newness of my position also emphasizes the fact that I am laying the foundations of what is expected from future interns as I complete my tasks. Of course my boss expects quality work, creativity, input on decisions, punctuality and organization, but the actual pillars of the role are still up in the air. If someone were to ask me what I do on a day to day basis, I could not give a concise answer because my tasks have varied so much and will continue to as my boss navigates the process of having an intern for the first time. Part of my boss navigating this new position also allows me a fair amount of input to share what I think I should be responsible for and fortunately my boss is receptive so she is willing to listen to my suggestions. I can definitely say my internship embodies the motto that everyday is a new beginning, which is both exciting and daunting.