To work creatively is not something that a Global Studies student gets to do on a daily basis; it is all about technicalities and political or historical knowledge. However, I currently find myself in a position where I can work independently and have freedom to execute my given assignments howeverI want.
Because of COVID-19, I am currently doing a remote internship with the Inspire Development Center located in Washington State. They are a non-profit organization that focuses on the wellbeing of immigrant families and their kids– giving them the tools and resources that they can use in order to adapt and be successful once they enter kindergarten.
I am currently helping the HR department, and some employees through them, by creating informative videos about events happening in the organization, as well as other technical ones such as why should the employees choose to have healthcare, etc. Another one of my duties is to create social media posts such as flyers to show more information about Inspire and to recruit individuals for open positions. Since my supervisors have given me a lot of freedom to work without daily supervision nor strict deadlines, I find myself creating, editing, and tweaking the videos whenever I have free time to do so. However, we have established a meeting time for most weeks, in which we can discuss my progress and talk about upcoming projects.
This whole internship has been a surprise since the very beginning because I really thought that I wasn’t going to be able to get one, so it was a relief when I was told that I could work with them. Another surprising factor was the fact that they trust me enough to allow me to work at my own pace and have as much creative freedom as I want. It is not very common to come across a place that gives you these types of things at the beginning of the entire process.
At the beginning I thought that because this internship was going to be remote, it wasn’t going to be as interesting and helpful, and although I do believe that experiencing it first hand (in person) would be something entirely different, I think that, so far, it has been a great way to see how things can operate in a different environment. As well as how we have all adapted to using technology to create new ways in which we can communicate with each other, and with a wider audience– in the organization’s case, with families, individuals seeking to work there, and between themselves. I sincerely think that having this position will aid me in the future since it has allowed me to work with a variety of programs that I can now efficiently use, but primarily, the ability to connect with others more easily. As I see it, the internship has now given me a bit of background experience that has allowed me to build and gain new skills, but also to make relationships and build this frame of network.
You made interesting points regarding a new approach to applying Global Studies’ cultural and classroom knowledge into practice and aggregating experience in a unique way. The pandemic really disrupted how we deal with the workplace and face tasks, and I believe that, as you pointed out, the surprises provided by a more flexible environment can bring a lot of benefits to one’s health and productivity. Lastly, it’s great that you get to experience how an organization involved in immigration issues can work towards making their adaptation process in a new country smoother. Certainly a new perspective into that field that’s so current.
It’s pretty fun to get a new experience in a related field I’d say. It’s funny how your Global Studies internship involves a lot of duties that are seemingly unrelated, but really broaden your experience. I’ve felt the same with my writing internship. I think most positive is the fact that you were able to develop skills to help you in your career, which has got to be the ultimate goal in an internship.