Final Reflection- World Pediatric Project

When I began working with World Pediatric Project this summer, I had no idea what to expect. Of course I had read the internship expectations sheet that summarized what I would be doing, but I was unable to imagine what tasks like “plan daily outings for international families” could possibly entail. It wasn’t until I arrived at the office and was given my first task of calling and checking in on the families in town, that I truly realized how much I had to learn. Trying to summarize what I learned in one paper is honestly quite difficult. Simply because I learned so much– not only about the inner workings of a nonprofit organization, but also because I learned a lot about different cultures. After discussing my goals and what I learned, I will address how the leadership classes I have taken played a role throughout my internship. 

In my Personal Plan Paper and my Site Description and Learning Contract, I spoke about how I really hoped to learn about the ins and outs of a nonprofit organization. This goal was particularly important to me because I really hope to work at a nonprofit after college, but knew almost nothing about how they function internally. I can confidently  say that I learned a significant amount about how nonprofits function. From sitting in on daily meetings with specific departments, as well as on meetings with the entire company, I was able to hear discussions on budgets, planning for international trips, fundraisers, updates on children’s health, and different roles at the company. In my role I was able to help with paperwork for visas, and funding that is necessary for the operation of a nonprofit. I also helped with WPP’s biggest fundraiser, Rock ‘n Heal. There is so incredibly much that has to happen behind the scenes for an organization like WPP to function on a daily basis, and it was eye opening for me to see and be a part of it. 

My second goal was to learn about other cultures through forming relationships with people who are different than me. I absolutely accomplished this goal. I learned so much about other cultures from working directly with people from other countries. Everyday I worked with children and their parents from countries such as Belize, Panama, Guyana, Honduras and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines– it was truly an amazing experience. While I was there for my eleven week internship, WPP helped eight children. I had the privilege of interacting with these children everyday. I learned that there are people in Belize who only speak English, some who only speak Spanish, and there is a small Mormon population that only speaks German. I learned that healthcare is regarded quite differently in other countries, and that in some places nobody drives while in others you start driving when you’re younger than you do here in the U.S.. I spoke with people about schooling, crime rates, religions and occupations. To say that I learned a lot is an understatement!

The third goal I had for this internship was to try and speak and/or write Spanish at least once a day. Little did I know that my entire internship would involve speaking Spanish constantly. I would say that this is the area I grew in most– much more than I expected I would. When I began the internship, I was comfortable in having a basic conversation in Spanish. However, when I arrived at my first day and the first task they gave me was to “call and check in on the Spanish speaking families” I realized I would be doing much more than basic conversations. Although this was absolutely terrifying to me on that first day, by the end of the internship I wasn’t nervous at all to speak in Spanish. I evolved from holding a basic conversation to being able to translate between nurses and patients. I am eternally grateful to the families for helping me, teaching me and for being so patient. Without them correcting me, encouraging me and guiding me along the way, I wouldn’t be anywhere close to as comfortable with the language as I am now!

When considering leadership’s involvement in my internship, I would definitely say that my classes have had a significant impact on what I have done this summer. Generally, they have helped me to realize my role in the company as an intern as well as recognize others’ roles. More specifically, they have taught me to recognize theories that are in action around me. Two of these theories are the Leadership Member Exchange (LMX) theory, and the theory of Emotional Intelligence. Because I had previously learned about these theories in my Jepson classes, recognizing them, and knowing my role in them, helped me to be more successful at my job within the organization. 

Another idea that I have learned from my classes and really saw and understood first hand during my internship, is the idea that there is not one correct way to be a leader. This piece of information is possibly the most important insight I have gained in my classes at Jepson. There is no “right” way to lead. There are techniques that may work better than others, but one of the biggest roles of a leader is to be able to work with their followers– and no two followers are the same. For example, people respond differently to different styles of leadership, some people want more guidance while others don’t, and there are some people who don’t respond well to a leader at all. This combined with all the cultural differences I have worked with this summer has truly taught me that there is no right way to lead. 

The opportunity to work for World Pediatric Project has opened my eyes to many different areas of a nonprofit that I was previously unaware existed. I now have a better understanding of what it takes to make a nonprofit function, on the domestic front as well as in the international domain. Additionally, I have learned about other cultures and have extensively put my Spanish skills to the test– both goals of mine for the summer. Thanks to my leadership classes, I was able to apply what I have learned to the world around me, and it enabled me to have a better understanding of what happens in the layers of leadership that exist in an organization.