How in the world did my internship go so quickly?! I felt like I was just getting started and then it was over! I got to work on some pretty exciting stuff the last couple weeks, so here’s a basic re-cap.
A few weeks before the end of my internship, I was starting to get a little anxious about the internship ending and wanted to accomplish more and felt like I needed to be taking on more tasks. So, I talked to Jim about possibly doing an independent project or something, but I think starting a huge new project on tope of what I was working on with other employees wasn't feasible. He asked me to work on the letter templates and update them and try to find a more efficient process for creating them as it is cumbersome and slow. These are the thank-you letters for donation/travel/honoree travel or donation/general thanks. I did re-write them but I didn’t end up making very much progress on re-working the process… I think that’s a project that would have taken more time than I had, as were many of the projects I was working on.
One project I’m working on is organizing travel documents and information for the Ambassador program of which Barbara, the Travel Coordinator, is in charge. I have been continuously updating both hard copy packets and the online database to make sure all their documents are accounted for and it is organized in a logical system on the computer’s files and on Convio. This organization system seems to be pretty new, as they just switched into Convio and a lot of the travel info is a little disorganized, so Barbara had me start compiling passport info from past trips and doing a lot of administrative work on Convio. It was a little tedious at times, but it was work and Barbara told me it was a huge help, so it’s worth it to me!
Another one of the things I’m doing is continuing to research about websites and talking to Lisa about different criteria that needs to be considered. It’s so interesting talking about the cross-cultural issues that come into play when considering the design and verbiage of the website. There are words and topics that are discussed differently in India, especially the idea of ‘orphanages and orphans’. Different terms convey different meanings, approaches and ideologies to Americans and Indians when talking about the children who do not have adequate rights and care that Miracle provides. I’ve started to feel quite comfortable talking to Lisa and I really do love getting to talk with her on a regular basis. Starting out, I was already supposed to be mirroring her and doing anything to help her out, but I feel like she has taken me under her wing somewhat and has really been looking out for me. When she asks me to write copy for her or edit something she has written, she take my input seriously and it’s actually used in Miracle’s publications. Whether we talk about the project she’s working on, my travel plans for Italy, or our families, it means a lot to me. I’ve been learning what it really means to have self-respect and self-confidence and how crucial these foundations are to doing great things in the world. Having someone else believe that I can do anything helps me believe it too.
In addition to the bigger projects, I do a lot of intern-y things, which keeps me on my toes and forces me to multi-task. Some of these jobs were really not difficult, but again everything I do is a learning experience and makes me take more responsibility. Right before Caroline and Elizabeth’s trip to India, I helped Leia with organizing the trip by updating Caroline’s blackberry with numbers of contacts she would need. I ran an errand to Michael’s to pick up a bunch of frames and matted children’s artwork to hang up in the office. Every few days, the staff likes to change the marquee outside the office, as they’re located on a pretty busy street and it’s a great marketing tool. So, I went out and changed the verbiage on the sign sometimes. Anna asked me to try and find some articles and books to help with some research the concept of attachment for the orphanages (which, I found out, is central to their mission and incredibly interesting) so I got to use the Dickinson database. My researching skills I learned at school helped me a bit! Unfortunately the library loan system doesn’t work during the summer though, so it really made me realize just how many resources we have at Dickinson. One of the last things I did at my internship was to revamp much of the intern and volunteer training manual. This document focuses on navigating standard procedures all the different systems Miracle works with, such as Convio, Friends, ConGO!, and V2. This way, users can have a guide to performing the basic functions in these systems and are able to go beyond these to complete various tasks. I didn’t have an updated manual like this when I started, so I tried to create something that would have been helpful for me.
So, that’s a quick summary of the main things I worked on at the end of my internship. There is always more I could have done, but at this point I’m proud of my work for the most part. A lot of the feedback I got from the people I was working with was very positive and/or constructive. This wasn’t just a resume builder for me; this was a true growth experience and I will look back on it very fondly.
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