Internship in Rome
My most valuable part of my internship experience
Going into this experience, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was concerned if I would be able to make a true difference, which I always long for in everything I do. I always love to be passionate and give a 100% to everything, and the last thing I wanted was to not have an effect. However, that was not the case. Throughout this internship, I was able to make a true difference in people’s lives, and that’s what I found most valuable. I had multiple instances where I could really tell that I had impacted someone’s life. In one of my computer classes, I was working with a woman, and she seemed to be enchanted by the computer. We started to talk back and forth and she told me that she was always wanted to be able to use the computer and that this was the first time she had really learned how. After that initial day, she continued to come to my class every day. She also asked tons of questions and would want to know details about every process that a computer does. I also had another man that primarily spoke French, but also spoke a little Italian and English. We could never really communicate with words, but we were able to communicate with body language. Every day he would come to me and have me translate random articles or books from English into French. When talking to a staff member that knows him very well, they explained he was very thankful that I met with him every day because he always yearned to know more and expose himself to more readings. Both the woman and the man, among the rest of the guests, were able to use the computer and technology as outlet into a world they never exposed to before.
Skills and qualifications I have gained from the internship
I have gained endless skills from this internship. I have definitely become better at multitasking as well as being able to operate with a small amount of resources. In the center, there were tons of people and not that many rooms. There would be instances where it would seem like three different people would need a room for three different reasons. This led to a lot of situations where people had to work with what they had and possibly meet half way or compromise. I also learned how extremely important it is to meet people at their level. In the center, people are not only coming from all over the world, but are coming from different experiences and skill levels. I learned very quickly that people can differ in so many ways. From the way they show love, to the way they greet someone, there is so many different variations of the same message. I had to be cognizant of what I said around certain groups of people. There is a thin balance between becoming really close with a group of people and possibly triggering something hard from their past. Everyone in the center is in Rome for different reasons, but it ultimately comes down to having to flee a situation that is not safe or healthy. Lastly I learned in organizations, how important it is to be able to switch gears. In my internship, I had structure, but I also knew that sometimes I would have to switch gears on a whim. This is the overall mindset that the center had. It was evident they believed that if people would be willing to do what it takes and work together, then we would be able to help the masses, and provide greater good.
Ties into my future career goals
I believe that I couldn’t have been put in an internship that was more perfect for me. When I first decided to do an internship during my study broad experience, I had some apprehensions. Would I be able to find an internship that TRULY aligned with my values. I feel very passionate about originations that practice the triple bottom line, people, planet, and profit. My dream future career is the Peace Corps. According to the Peace Corps website, their mission is “to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.” (“About”, 2016) To me, the Peace Corps, and the JNRC missions very closely align. In both organizations they genuinely care about the people. This internship was great practice for me for putting myself in a different environment for an extended period of time.