Let's.
Understand, I'm no Ambassador, no orientation leader that leads soon-to-be freshmen from session to session, playing ice breaker games and entertaining them. I'm certainly no session leader, who gets the students (or their parents) engaged enough to be excited about school in the fall. My role is almost entirely behind the scenes, and the only people I meet (or at least met today, at our first Advising/Registration session) were parents and the one student who was so excited about involvement that she came in to the office even though it wasn't on their schedule, but I love orientation.
I love it.
I love everything from stuffing folders to printing name tags to putting together signs for the Ambassadors. I love running errands, setting up lunch, sitting down in the office for five minutes just to jump up and run across campus, and I really, really love tabling. I love tabling so much.
"Hi! How was your tour?....Oh, I'm so glad. Well, we are the Office of Student Involvement, and we house all kinds of things. There are over 45 clubs on campus, and we work largely with them, but also do a lot of leadership programming and put on some great events. Plus, our recreation department is housed within our office, and they have intramural sports, all kinds of trips, and even run the fitness center, which is currently being remodeled but will be open in the fall."
AHH. I have never loved anything so much as I love tabling. I have tabled a lot, especially while I worked for ONE, but also while I was with our student government, and it just keeps getting better. You make that connection ("Oh, your student likes paintball? Our rec office does a paintball trip every year, and if he can find four other students and an advisor, he could start a paintball club.") and just chat with them. Most people will take something if you connect, and while I prefer to talk to students, parents are just as fun.
I felt so accomplished today. And I don't even know where my day went, which is a great feeling when it is because you have been doing so much. This whole week has been absolutely amazing. Busy, nerve-wracking, but amazing. I can't wait for the next Advising/Registration session, and I really can't wait for Orientation in August.
This entire internship is so perfect for me. I love every. single. second. I love my relationship with my boss, with the intern that I share a desk with, with the other staff in the office. I love what I am getting to do; the meetings that I get to be part of, the events that I am going to be putting on. I am on such a high from orientation today - is this what it is going to be like all year? God, I hope so.
6.19.2010
amazing.
It has been just over a week since I started my job, and I am SO IN LOVE. (Also it feels like I have been in this position forever. Has it really only been a week?)
I spent a large portion of that first week being really quiet; absorbing everything. The last three days, while hectic, have been probably the best so far.
Wednesday was my first one-on-one with my boss. I already love Michelle a lot, so I'm thrilled with the opportunity to be working for her. It was fun for me to be able to go through all of the things that I have been working on and hear "great," followed by advice on how to proceed. So far I think I'm doing good, but you would have to ask her I guess.
Thursday we were supposed to be in a meeting, but it unexpectedly got cancelled, so Michelle, our program coordinator, Rachel, and I colored for thirty minutes.
...Yeah, you totally read that correctly. I'm one of the founding members of the Coloring Club on our campus, so we already had all of the supplies, and the three of us sat down in the conference room and colored large Disney coloring pages and talked about ridiculous things. While the rest of the day was pretty low-key, I was pretty thrilled by that portion of my day.
Yesterday I finished a couple of projects, and then Rachel and I went to the end of the year party for the Garden Club on campus. Pizza, soda, cake, and plenty of flowers. I won the raffle for one of the hanging plants, but couldn't take it home on the bus, so gave it to Rachel. She picked out some gorgeous yellow flowers...I have no idea what they were, but they were pretty. And I snagged a plant for myself and some snap dragons for Michelle, who pulled one of the flowers off and started snapping it at me when I gave them to her. (I work for the biggest dork.)
While work has been hectic and interesting this week, next week is going to be my real test. Starting Tuesday, Michelle is in training with our ambassadors for three days, immediately followed by the first session of our orientation program, ROAR. Friday is the day that the freshmen participate in advising and registration, and it is also the first time they will meet the ambassadors and really get to know the campus. ROAR is a big deal, and there are a lot of things that I am being put in charge of because Michelle and her co-advisor for the ambassadors, Nelson, will be in training all day Tuesday-Thursday, and they are also in charge of prep for ROAR. So parts of it fall to me. It is scary, but I'm excited also.
This weekend, though, is crazy as well. Last night my sister Maggie graduated from high school, today I'm cleaning and my best friend Audrey will be arriving for the weekend, tomorrow Audrey and I are looking at apartments and I have a baccalaureate for my sister Victoria and a grad party for Maggie. Then Monday Audrey and I will be looking at more apartments, I've got meetings to attend about ROAR, and then Victoria graduates from high school. Crazy weekend immediately followed by a crazy week, but it's going to be totally worth it. Maybe I'll even go to work on Tuesday morning having signed a lease for an apartment!
Pretty much my life is amazing right now. It's like I finally hit the jackpot. :)
I spent a large portion of that first week being really quiet; absorbing everything. The last three days, while hectic, have been probably the best so far.
Wednesday was my first one-on-one with my boss. I already love Michelle a lot, so I'm thrilled with the opportunity to be working for her. It was fun for me to be able to go through all of the things that I have been working on and hear "great," followed by advice on how to proceed. So far I think I'm doing good, but you would have to ask her I guess.
Thursday we were supposed to be in a meeting, but it unexpectedly got cancelled, so Michelle, our program coordinator, Rachel, and I colored for thirty minutes.
...Yeah, you totally read that correctly. I'm one of the founding members of the Coloring Club on our campus, so we already had all of the supplies, and the three of us sat down in the conference room and colored large Disney coloring pages and talked about ridiculous things. While the rest of the day was pretty low-key, I was pretty thrilled by that portion of my day.
Yesterday I finished a couple of projects, and then Rachel and I went to the end of the year party for the Garden Club on campus. Pizza, soda, cake, and plenty of flowers. I won the raffle for one of the hanging plants, but couldn't take it home on the bus, so gave it to Rachel. She picked out some gorgeous yellow flowers...I have no idea what they were, but they were pretty. And I snagged a plant for myself and some snap dragons for Michelle, who pulled one of the flowers off and started snapping it at me when I gave them to her. (I work for the biggest dork.)
While work has been hectic and interesting this week, next week is going to be my real test. Starting Tuesday, Michelle is in training with our ambassadors for three days, immediately followed by the first session of our orientation program, ROAR. Friday is the day that the freshmen participate in advising and registration, and it is also the first time they will meet the ambassadors and really get to know the campus. ROAR is a big deal, and there are a lot of things that I am being put in charge of because Michelle and her co-advisor for the ambassadors, Nelson, will be in training all day Tuesday-Thursday, and they are also in charge of prep for ROAR. So parts of it fall to me. It is scary, but I'm excited also.
This weekend, though, is crazy as well. Last night my sister Maggie graduated from high school, today I'm cleaning and my best friend Audrey will be arriving for the weekend, tomorrow Audrey and I are looking at apartments and I have a baccalaureate for my sister Victoria and a grad party for Maggie. Then Monday Audrey and I will be looking at more apartments, I've got meetings to attend about ROAR, and then Victoria graduates from high school. Crazy weekend immediately followed by a crazy week, but it's going to be totally worth it. Maybe I'll even go to work on Tuesday morning having signed a lease for an apartment!
Pretty much my life is amazing right now. It's like I finally hit the jackpot. :)
6.12.2010
and so it begins.
Wednesday was the day that I actually started work. I spent the day researching Emerging Leader's Retreats and Programs at other universities. It was a day of phone calls and emails, printing agendas and other documents to read over later. I spent the next couple of days doing the same thing, adding in a few other projects here and there. I organized the desk, made more phone calls, looked through photos....and I loved every second of it.
Nose to the grindstone, I was quiet, enjoying myself. It sounds a little silly, I guess, but I liked it. I felt productive, like I was doing something important.
Oh, I know it sounds ridiculous. This has barely started, but I...well, I guess I don't care how silly it sounds. I've waited all semester for this position. I would work all day every day if I could, but I suppose I should save the work for my office hours. My boss can only come up with so many projects.
It's hard to imagine what the internship will look like in a few months. Busier, I'm sure. More to do. I'm still nervous about the big projects; there are going to be a lot of people watching me. I guess it's just a matter of having a little faith.
Nervous or not, I already love what I'm doing. I've got two big meetings next week, several projects to work on, and on top of everything else, my best friend and soon to be roommate will finally be returning to Vancouver from Albany, New York this week. We'll be looking at apartments when I'm not working, and hopefully we'll find a great one.
This summer, the internship, the next year; they're all going to be great. And everything is finally starting.
Nose to the grindstone, I was quiet, enjoying myself. It sounds a little silly, I guess, but I liked it. I felt productive, like I was doing something important.
Oh, I know it sounds ridiculous. This has barely started, but I...well, I guess I don't care how silly it sounds. I've waited all semester for this position. I would work all day every day if I could, but I suppose I should save the work for my office hours. My boss can only come up with so many projects.
It's hard to imagine what the internship will look like in a few months. Busier, I'm sure. More to do. I'm still nervous about the big projects; there are going to be a lot of people watching me. I guess it's just a matter of having a little faith.
Nervous or not, I already love what I'm doing. I've got two big meetings next week, several projects to work on, and on top of everything else, my best friend and soon to be roommate will finally be returning to Vancouver from Albany, New York this week. We'll be looking at apartments when I'm not working, and hopefully we'll find a great one.
This summer, the internship, the next year; they're all going to be great. And everything is finally starting.
6.03.2010
That thrilling terror.
Have you ever been both scared and excited at the same time? Have you ever imagined yourself succeeding and failing; pictured your boss' expression when both proud of and disappointed in you?
It is this terrible frenzy of emotions that is taking over my thoughts at the moment. The semester is over and turned out fine (except for that class I have to retake), and I got rave reviews from all of the people that I worked with on my last internship. Not to mention, on May 4, I was offered, and accepted, the Programming Internship in our Office of Student Involvement.
Excitement. Terror. The thought that I can do it. The thought that I can't. The unfulfillable desire to ask why; why did you hire me? Why did you hire me? Why did you hire me, knowing everything that you do?
I pestered and pestered to start my job. Part of it was because I was excited. I am excited. But part of it was also because I knew that the longer I had to wait, the more I would convince myself that I was going to screw up; that I was going to do something wrong or be unable to fulfill the duties of a position that I have coveted for months.
My boss has been out of town for the last week, which has pushed my start back further than what we discussed in the interview. That's fine, I would much rather her be in town when I start. I think.
Tuesday is the day. I will be sitting down with the two other interns and our boss to talk about the Office of Student Involvement, what we will each be working on, how we will work together; the big picture. And then I will be starting, most likely the next day. I have already sat down with my boss and the previous intern. I know what the job requires. Now it's just a matter of determining whether or not I know what the hell I'm doing.
I've never been this scared to start something. Or this excited.
It is this terrible frenzy of emotions that is taking over my thoughts at the moment. The semester is over and turned out fine (except for that class I have to retake), and I got rave reviews from all of the people that I worked with on my last internship. Not to mention, on May 4, I was offered, and accepted, the Programming Internship in our Office of Student Involvement.
Excitement. Terror. The thought that I can do it. The thought that I can't. The unfulfillable desire to ask why; why did you hire me? Why did you hire me? Why did you hire me, knowing everything that you do?
I pestered and pestered to start my job. Part of it was because I was excited. I am excited. But part of it was also because I knew that the longer I had to wait, the more I would convince myself that I was going to screw up; that I was going to do something wrong or be unable to fulfill the duties of a position that I have coveted for months.
My boss has been out of town for the last week, which has pushed my start back further than what we discussed in the interview. That's fine, I would much rather her be in town when I start. I think.
Tuesday is the day. I will be sitting down with the two other interns and our boss to talk about the Office of Student Involvement, what we will each be working on, how we will work together; the big picture. And then I will be starting, most likely the next day. I have already sat down with my boss and the previous intern. I know what the job requires. Now it's just a matter of determining whether or not I know what the hell I'm doing.
I've never been this scared to start something. Or this excited.
5.19.2010
beginnings and endings.
I just had my final phone call with ONE. I guess it could have been considered an exit interview; a list of questions about the things that I liked, the changes I want to see made. Working with ONE has been an amazing, glorious experience. They have taught me things I couldn't have learned anywhere else, sent me to Kenya - I will miss working with ONE, flying to DC every January to spend three days holed up in conference rooms (okay, two when you get food poisoning), but it is time. This semester has taught me a lot about me and my priorities, and dedicated time to ONE just isn't in the cards anymore.
In about three weeks, I get to start the most amazing job. My internship this semester with the Student Affairs department really taught me a lot, but mostly it introduced me to a career field that I actually feel good about. I am proud to tell people that I want to work at the University level, that I want to manage student involvement activities or work for resident life. And this new job? It lets me do just that.
Yes, I am still a student. I changed my major, pushed out my graduation, but it is worth it. I will be interning in the Office of Student Involvement on our campus, working for the same woman who got me in to Student Affairs in the first place, and helping to run programs on our campus. Our Public Affairs Lecture Series, Women of Distinction, Chancellor's Seminar Series...all of these fall in to my lap, and I can't wait to get started.
I'm so excited that I'm pretty sure Michelle is going to explode if I ask her one more time when I am starting. Or when she and I can sit down and talk about what I'm doing. I know I need to wait; she and Sally (the most recent intern) and I are sitting down next Tuesday, and that is going to be amazing, but it doesn't make me any less antsy to start my job. I'm bored just sitting around, watching bad television and reading books. The reading books part is fun, but I can still do that while working 15 hours a week for the office. I just want to start so bad.
But I'll wait. June 7, hopefully, is my start date. It seems so far away, but it's only a couple of weeks. I can wait that long. Right?
In about three weeks, I get to start the most amazing job. My internship this semester with the Student Affairs department really taught me a lot, but mostly it introduced me to a career field that I actually feel good about. I am proud to tell people that I want to work at the University level, that I want to manage student involvement activities or work for resident life. And this new job? It lets me do just that.
Yes, I am still a student. I changed my major, pushed out my graduation, but it is worth it. I will be interning in the Office of Student Involvement on our campus, working for the same woman who got me in to Student Affairs in the first place, and helping to run programs on our campus. Our Public Affairs Lecture Series, Women of Distinction, Chancellor's Seminar Series...all of these fall in to my lap, and I can't wait to get started.
I'm so excited that I'm pretty sure Michelle is going to explode if I ask her one more time when I am starting. Or when she and I can sit down and talk about what I'm doing. I know I need to wait; she and Sally (the most recent intern) and I are sitting down next Tuesday, and that is going to be amazing, but it doesn't make me any less antsy to start my job. I'm bored just sitting around, watching bad television and reading books. The reading books part is fun, but I can still do that while working 15 hours a week for the office. I just want to start so bad.
But I'll wait. June 7, hopefully, is my start date. It seems so far away, but it's only a couple of weeks. I can wait that long. Right?
3.08.2010
all that i'm after is a life full of laughter
Welcome to March! It has been nearly two weeks since I was here last, so I am clearly not living up to my once-a-day promise, but this semester has become busy. No excuses, though, I'm going to try to be better about it. (After all, at least one person reads this - Hi Nicole!)
My internship is amazing. Michelle did me a huge service by recommending that I do this - I have completely fallen in love with the Student Affairs Department, and can't wait to get even more involved as the semester continues. Today I went to a Management Meeting, which meant that I sat in on an hour long conversation between the eight sections of the Student Affairs department. It was a really great experience, and even though I didn't really say anything, I would love to keep going back. I'm not sure if they will let me, but I think I'm going ask. I didn't understand some of the acronyms or things that they were talking about, but there was something really cool about the meeting.
Wednesday I go to Prairie High School with Nelson, who is one of our admissions counselors, and I'm really excited. I haven't been to a high school visit since I attended one while I was in high school, so it's going to be really interesting to see the other side of that. I'll also start getting in to more events and more involved with the KnowHow2Go Program that Admissions is doing, which is a recruitment program that is targeted at low-income and first-generation college students, but we're waiting on more responses from Middle and High Schools for that one.
This Saturday, I leave for a five day Service Trip in northern Washington. We start in Puyallup and make our way all the way to Everett working on farms and orchards and ending at a food bank. It's going to be some hard labor, but I'm excited; it should be pretty fun, actually. My friend Brandi and I get to drive up together on Saturday, and I love driving, so that will be great. I wanted to do a service trip for Spring Break, and was looking at New Orleans for a while, but this one is free and local, so I think it is going to be even better.
Things are starting to look up, though this semester took a turn for the the worse for a while. I think it'll end on a good note, though, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.
My internship is amazing. Michelle did me a huge service by recommending that I do this - I have completely fallen in love with the Student Affairs Department, and can't wait to get even more involved as the semester continues. Today I went to a Management Meeting, which meant that I sat in on an hour long conversation between the eight sections of the Student Affairs department. It was a really great experience, and even though I didn't really say anything, I would love to keep going back. I'm not sure if they will let me, but I think I'm going ask. I didn't understand some of the acronyms or things that they were talking about, but there was something really cool about the meeting.
Wednesday I go to Prairie High School with Nelson, who is one of our admissions counselors, and I'm really excited. I haven't been to a high school visit since I attended one while I was in high school, so it's going to be really interesting to see the other side of that. I'll also start getting in to more events and more involved with the KnowHow2Go Program that Admissions is doing, which is a recruitment program that is targeted at low-income and first-generation college students, but we're waiting on more responses from Middle and High Schools for that one.
This Saturday, I leave for a five day Service Trip in northern Washington. We start in Puyallup and make our way all the way to Everett working on farms and orchards and ending at a food bank. It's going to be some hard labor, but I'm excited; it should be pretty fun, actually. My friend Brandi and I get to drive up together on Saturday, and I love driving, so that will be great. I wanted to do a service trip for Spring Break, and was looking at New Orleans for a while, but this one is free and local, so I think it is going to be even better.
Things are starting to look up, though this semester took a turn for the the worse for a while. I think it'll end on a good note, though, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.
2.23.2010
play on when you're losing the game
I was told early this morning that one of my prose pieces will be published in the school's literary journal, and I'm thrilled. It is a piece that I was already pretty proud of, but I'm even more proud of it now. It's the first time I will ever be published!
Also, our campaign finally launches tomorrow! My amazing candidates, Mason and Tiffany, will do an official launch of the campaign about 3 1/2 hours before their first debate - with one opposing ticket, we've got some work cut out for us, but I've got a lot of faith in my team - they're going to do great. The website is just about finished, and once we pick up our fliers and merchandise tomorrow, we'll really be ready to paint the campus PINK! (You can check out what is finished of the website at www.votepink2010.org.)
This weekend I head for Pullman for a basketball game versus the University of Washington, and I can't wait! I'm going with an amazing group of people, and it should be a great break for me. Another coffee date with Michelle is scheduled for next Friday, my internship is really interesting and most of my classes are going well, so I definitely have things to look forward to. I have to tell you, though, the thing I need most is a big fat hug from someone - and I'm not sure where to find that. Maybe one will turn up if I wish hard enough.
Also, our campaign finally launches tomorrow! My amazing candidates, Mason and Tiffany, will do an official launch of the campaign about 3 1/2 hours before their first debate - with one opposing ticket, we've got some work cut out for us, but I've got a lot of faith in my team - they're going to do great. The website is just about finished, and once we pick up our fliers and merchandise tomorrow, we'll really be ready to paint the campus PINK! (You can check out what is finished of the website at www.votepink2010.org.)
This weekend I head for Pullman for a basketball game versus the University of Washington, and I can't wait! I'm going with an amazing group of people, and it should be a great break for me. Another coffee date with Michelle is scheduled for next Friday, my internship is really interesting and most of my classes are going well, so I definitely have things to look forward to. I have to tell you, though, the thing I need most is a big fat hug from someone - and I'm not sure where to find that. Maybe one will turn up if I wish hard enough.
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