When I was in the processes of finding an internship, I kept telling myself to get out there and find a new area of work that I had never encountered. That's the whole reason why I applied to work in Summer Orientation. However, I had the awesome surprise of picking out a university that conducts summer orientation for families. This was a foreign concept to me as I always thought Orientation was for the students...but as our millennials continue to tie the umbilical cord tighter to mom and/or dad...mom and dad have to attend orientation. Seriously? You can't leave Junior at school for two days?
When I arrived at my internship two weeks ago, I was full of energy....roaring to start. I kept asking my two supervisors "What projects do you have for me?" But they didn't have anything special for me to do. However, they kept encouraging me to make this MY experience. This meant WHAT did I want to get out of this?
So after a long session of self reflecting this Spring I identified areas that I really needed to work on. These are areas I noticed that employers would be looking for when I get out into the field next year. During my assistantship this Spring, I had the opportunity to sit in on campus interviews with candidates we were hiring for new positions in my unit. They are entry level positions, and so the people applying were men and women just getting out of grad school...weeks shy of receiving their degrees. Through that process, I understood that budgeting experience is a transferable skill that I could utilize to my benefit. I hate numbers and seem to have issues with money (because there never seems to be enough)...but I thought budgeting experience would be something new to learn. I also idetified supervisory skills as an area that I have had knowledge about by working in different Executive Boards with student organizations I have been involved with. Being the authority figure has always been something I have struggled with because I don't enjoy telling people what to do, how to do it, or just flat out being the boss. Though I don't like it, I have to learn. Another area I wanted to improve on is the ability to research. It's different stories to research for a class project than to research for the sake of imparting knowledge into the world. Presenting professionally this research, is my last component of areas I want to work on.
Parent Summer Orientation...interesting concept. My supervisors took seriously what I wanted to learn and designed some projects for me. These involve: researching different types of families/parents and their needs (i.e. transfers, first generation, Spanish-speaking, commuters); if the research I find seems to be of significance to the future of the office and their programming for parents/families I may have the opportunity to present to the VP of Student Development (really exciting yet nerve wracking); being able to learn how our Parent Association (PTA for college parents) gets funding (i.e through selling merchandise, Parent Orientation fees, etc.); supervising the Parent Orientation Leaders (by creating a Performance Evaluation for the Orientation Leaders, assisting with their training process, and guiding them through Orientation duties)...alot of work for a 150 hour internship...which by now I am half way done with my hours--yikes!
I have to admit...I didn't think that Parent Orientation was a big deal. However, after preparing for the first Freshman Orientation session (which was today...and I amazingly worked through a 12 hour day) I realized that parents do play an integral role in their students life.
Today I had some Spanish speaking parents who were confused on where to go or how to pay and what to do...and so I talked them through the process and explained how when a student needs help the first person they will likely call for advice would be their mom and dad. I told them that the institution encouraged parents to attend this orientation (which is optional). The look on their faces was priceless...and I have never felt more rewarded with my job. The fact that I spoke Spanish and was able to interpret information for them and make them feel a part of this university---and that I made a point that their student was important to us and that as parents they were also important, not just for us, but the collegiate experience of their student. They seemed so grateful that I could talk to them as people and understand their situation (they drove HOURS to get here today, and with the economy being as it is--they didn't have much resources for them to attend this optional gathering). I was able to get both of the parents' fees' waived. And I made a family very happy today :) The father kept shaking my head and saying "Thank You" to me. He seemed so happy to know that someone cared about his family. Even if it was a stranger such as me. I met a family's needs today...and I'm never forgetting that moment when I connected with this family.
Studies show that students perform better and have a positive collegiate experience when their parents are involved in the collegiate experience. And today...I think I am responsible for some freshman having a successful first year. Hopefully, with the information these parents will get during Orientation they will motivate their student to pursue their dreams, and their kid will no longer be a statistic of Latinos who don't graduate (an important aspect of my life since I am Latina who faced obstacles in the way to get where I'm at now).
I did good. Stressful long day...but in the end, the hard work was worth it. I made someone's family a bit happier. All this on the first day of Orientation!!!!
I'm really happy at the place that I'm at this summer...I have the most amazing supervisor ever, the school is a perfect fit to my personality, and it's all in a small town setting. What more could an intern ask for? (Funny story: I told my supervisor on the first day when she took me out to lunch to get to know me better that it had been the best first day ever at anything. She was so proud. She kept trying to hold up to that standard all week. And it was--it was the best first week ever. And I think it will continue to be one of the best experiences I have ever had).
Monday, June 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 19
Goodbye first year of grad school. Hello summer internship!
Finals week has come and gone. I closed my monstrous building, moved to a new apartment, cleaned out my office, finished up paperwork, wrote a bunch of reports, said goodbye to my friends, and boarded a plane to Florida. After three months of waiting, I was finally on my way to my summer internship.
I was so excited but nervous. How in the world was I going to help run orientation for a university I don’t even attend? What would my student staff think of me? What if my professional staff didn’t like me? What was I going to do without a car? Would I make any friends?
Someone came to pick me up from the airport and we waited together for the other NODA intern. When he arrived, he flashed a bright smile and I knew right away that I was going to like him. My roommate was already home when I showed up at the on-campus apartment we’re sharing for the summer. We have a mutual friend (Student Affairs really is a small world after all) and had already connected on Facebook. She gave me a hug and I knew right away we were going to be friends, too. About fifteen minutes later, I heard loud cheering coming from the hallway outside of our apartment. A bunch of the Orientation Leaders came to welcome me with a cheer in the hallway and all twenty of them came into my apartment to say hello. So far, everything was looking great. This is when I typically expect everything to take a turn for the worse. Wrong.
Sure, it took me several days to adjust to being in a new environment. I missed my friends and my boyfriend. For the first time in a long time, I felt nervous and reserved in a large, energetic group. Now, three weeks into the internship, I already feel like I belong here.
This is the third time I’ve had a summer internship and by far the best experience I’ve had. My supervisor has given me trust and responsibility and I cannot thank her enough for that. The office staff and students have been incredibly welcoming and even after a 19-hour orientation day, I’m in a good mood. I’m still trying to be more comfortable and build stronger relationships with my students but I think this will come with time.
I’m disappointed that my university doesn’t encourage many of the grad students to look for internships. Only about half of my cohort is completing internships but I think everyone can benefit from a good (or bad) experience in a new place. Besides, no matter how much you love a place it can be refreshing to spend a summer somewhere else.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
It's a residence hall NOT a dormitory - 18
There's mistakes that I have made,
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
It seems like so long ago that I started this blog with a little insight from Carrie Underwood. Nine months later, while her songs still have a lot of the answers, I realize all the lessons I have learned on my own in my first year of grad school.
My awesome, crazy, motley crew of a cohort has taught me that there is great wisdom in diversity. Also, that I don’t have to be great friends with everyone. That it can be more meaningful to have close relationships with just a handful of people.
I’ve learned that the most challenging things are usually the ones that make me grow the most. I’ve learned so much about being an advisor, supervisor, employee, student, girlfriend, and friend. And I’ve learned that I have way too much left to learn. If you’ve followed this blog at all, I won’t rehash everything I’ve written. Instead, I’ll leave you with some lessons from the Vice Provost of my university which I think are both awesome and beneficial.
Prepare an Elevator Speech
Think of how you could explain your job, or Student Affairs in general, to a stranger in a short elevator ride. I’ve heard many variations of Student Affairs elevator speeches—both on and off elevators. Recently, a Higher Education professor explained Student Affairs as working in “talent development;” preparing students to use their talents to successfully accomplish their dreams. Others say something about student affairs being the non-academic side of higher education. I’m still working on my elevator speech, which currently goes something like, “I just wanna stay in college forever.” A lot of thought should go into the speech. Student Affairs is academic and supports the academic mission of institutions. And my speech doesn’t exactly scream professionalism. Elevator speeches come in really handy when people ask things like “What exactly do you do?” It’s also important to understand your own beliefs and philosophies and tie those into the speech.
Create a Go-to-Hell Fund (or GTFO Fund)
A go-to-hell fund is kind of like a savings account except instead of using the money on car repairs, dental work, or tropical vacations, it’s used in case you need to quit your job and stick it to the man. Now, a GTH fund should not be used just because you’re tired of working and want to spend some time in the Caribbean. Instead, a GTH fund should be used if you have any ethical, philosophical, or other large-scale disagreements or problems with your job and feel there is not way to stick it out. The fund should be large enough to keep you afloat while searching for a new job.
We’re Here For the Students
I know this one isn’t really witty but it’s the most important. For a long time, I thought all Student Affairs professionals were the crème de la crème—friendly, sincere student advocates. However, there are some Student Affairs professionals who start to forget the students. They get caught up in making as many connections as possible or focus on the prestige of administration positions and become like my power hungry manager the summer I worked at Sonic. They focus on what is easiest or cheapest rather than what is best for the students. In the past year, I’ve learned that it is important to speak your mind about what you think is best and sometimes remind those who have forgotten.
Ok, so I guess I didn’t mention things like Kohlberg’s Moral Development theory or tight and loose coupling (which, c’mon sounds like something from Karma Sutra). I have learned a lot from textbooks this year, but I think what will stick with me the most are lessons learned from experience and from the wonderful (and less wonderful) people around me.
Some chances I just threw away,
Some roads,
I never should've taken,
Been some signs I didn't see,
Hearts that I hurt needlessly,
Some wounds,
That I wish I could have one more chance to mend,
But it don't make no difference,
The past can't be rewritten,
You get the life you're given,
Oh, some pages turned,
Some bridges burned,
But there were,
Lessons learned.
It seems like so long ago that I started this blog with a little insight from Carrie Underwood. Nine months later, while her songs still have a lot of the answers, I realize all the lessons I have learned on my own in my first year of grad school.
My awesome, crazy, motley crew of a cohort has taught me that there is great wisdom in diversity. Also, that I don’t have to be great friends with everyone. That it can be more meaningful to have close relationships with just a handful of people.
I’ve learned that the most challenging things are usually the ones that make me grow the most. I’ve learned so much about being an advisor, supervisor, employee, student, girlfriend, and friend. And I’ve learned that I have way too much left to learn. If you’ve followed this blog at all, I won’t rehash everything I’ve written. Instead, I’ll leave you with some lessons from the Vice Provost of my university which I think are both awesome and beneficial.
Prepare an Elevator Speech
Think of how you could explain your job, or Student Affairs in general, to a stranger in a short elevator ride. I’ve heard many variations of Student Affairs elevator speeches—both on and off elevators. Recently, a Higher Education professor explained Student Affairs as working in “talent development;” preparing students to use their talents to successfully accomplish their dreams. Others say something about student affairs being the non-academic side of higher education. I’m still working on my elevator speech, which currently goes something like, “I just wanna stay in college forever.” A lot of thought should go into the speech. Student Affairs is academic and supports the academic mission of institutions. And my speech doesn’t exactly scream professionalism. Elevator speeches come in really handy when people ask things like “What exactly do you do?” It’s also important to understand your own beliefs and philosophies and tie those into the speech.
Create a Go-to-Hell Fund (or GTFO Fund)
A go-to-hell fund is kind of like a savings account except instead of using the money on car repairs, dental work, or tropical vacations, it’s used in case you need to quit your job and stick it to the man. Now, a GTH fund should not be used just because you’re tired of working and want to spend some time in the Caribbean. Instead, a GTH fund should be used if you have any ethical, philosophical, or other large-scale disagreements or problems with your job and feel there is not way to stick it out. The fund should be large enough to keep you afloat while searching for a new job.
We’re Here For the Students
I know this one isn’t really witty but it’s the most important. For a long time, I thought all Student Affairs professionals were the crème de la crème—friendly, sincere student advocates. However, there are some Student Affairs professionals who start to forget the students. They get caught up in making as many connections as possible or focus on the prestige of administration positions and become like my power hungry manager the summer I worked at Sonic. They focus on what is easiest or cheapest rather than what is best for the students. In the past year, I’ve learned that it is important to speak your mind about what you think is best and sometimes remind those who have forgotten.
Ok, so I guess I didn’t mention things like Kohlberg’s Moral Development theory or tight and loose coupling (which, c’mon sounds like something from Karma Sutra). I have learned a lot from textbooks this year, but I think what will stick with me the most are lessons learned from experience and from the wonderful (and less wonderful) people around me.
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