To my wonderful Learning & Development team, to the amazing HR department, and Make-A-Wish as a whole, thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity I have been given this semester as an intern at the national office!
I have learned so much in these short sixteen weeks and the knowledge and skills that I have learned and acquired through this internship will no doubt help me in my future as I look forward to graduation, and seeking out a full time job and a career! This internship has taught me to be curious and ask questions, to challenge myself and take on new responsibilities, and to embrace the work culture that I am in, and learn how to adapt to the diverseness of different work places.
I want to especially thank my immediate supervisor, Vicki McKee for being so incredibly encouraging and supportive of me throughout this internship! You have really encouraged me to develop my skill set and to challenge myself and think creatively and in an innovative way. Thank you for trusting me, and giving me responsibility and ownership in the projects I worked on. Thank you for being such an amazing supervisor, one who I can be open and honest with, and know that you will always have my back!
Also, thank you to my amazing team members who I got to work with on a daily basis! Doug, Denton, and Nanda, you all are SO amazing and certainly do not receive as much credit as you should for all the incredible work that you do! It's all the behind the scenes work that keeps things running, and the three of you are incredible at making sure all the behind the scenes work gets done so the work that people do see happening runs smoothly.
Finally, I want to thank my awesome Intern Manager, Meg Luther! You have such an incredible way of interacting with everyone in the office--you have such a light about you, and the joy that you bring to the office and the people you interact with everyday is so amazing! It has been such a joy getting to work with you, and I am so thankful that I have been able to learn from you how to have difficult conversations, how to get people excited about participating in something work related, and how to throw a bomb-diggity ice cream social :)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
The Most Important Things...
During my session as an intern at Make-A-Wish I learned a lot of things about nonprofit organizations, about different work cultures, and about the different interactions between different departments and different levels of leadership. Looking back at my initial goals that I made at the beginning of the semester, I think I have made great strides in meeting most of these goals.
1. Learn the ins and outs of the behind the scenes operations in a nonprofit organization (or at least in the Learning & Development department of the organization). I want to learn what keeps the organization running.
Throughout my time at Make-A-Wish, I certainly have been given quite an insight into the behind the scenes operations of a nonprofit organization. I learned that often times, things can appear to be working quite smoothly to the public eye, but on the inside, there is a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of updating and reform.
2. Start and finish a project that will help the Learning & Development department to grow and expand in a way that will benefit it in the future. I want to create a process that is efficient and that can be replicated by others in the future to produce quality work.
I have been able to fulfill this goal through a few different avenues. One of my projects as an intern was to streamline the process of hosting a Lunch 'n' Learn. Before I started at Make-A-Wish, the Learning and Development team held a lot of the responsibility of ensuring that Lunch 'n' Learns went off without a hitch. However, when other departments were the guest speakers, our team was still running around, trying to get everything prepared, while we were playing catch up on our daily tasks. So, I went through every step of the process, broke it down into the roles and responsibilities of the hosting department, our department, and the I.T. department. Once I did that, as soon as a Lunch 'n' Learn was scheduled on the calendar, I approached the hosting department, went over the process with them, and handed over all responsibility, thus streamlining the process.
3. Explore different areas of a nonprofit organization. I know I want to work in the nonprofit sector once I graduate, but there are so many different aspects of a nonprofit that it is difficult to know where exactly I want to be after graduation. I hope that through this internship, I will be able to explore different career avenues and learn more about myself as a contributor to the nonprofit sector and where my skill set will best fit in a nonprofit organization.
Over the course of the semester, every other week at our team meetings, each person on the team gets to choose a different "guest speaker" to bring in from another department. It has been really neat to hear about the work that is done across the office, and how diverse the work is that is done even on the same floor! Some departments work closely with the chapters, and granting the wishes themselves, while others (such as mine) focus more on training the volunteers, and getting knowledge and tools to staff members. It is incredible that such a diverse group of people all come together because they are all so devoted to the mission of Make-A-Wish.
1. Learn the ins and outs of the behind the scenes operations in a nonprofit organization (or at least in the Learning & Development department of the organization). I want to learn what keeps the organization running.
Throughout my time at Make-A-Wish, I certainly have been given quite an insight into the behind the scenes operations of a nonprofit organization. I learned that often times, things can appear to be working quite smoothly to the public eye, but on the inside, there is a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of updating and reform.
2. Start and finish a project that will help the Learning & Development department to grow and expand in a way that will benefit it in the future. I want to create a process that is efficient and that can be replicated by others in the future to produce quality work.
I have been able to fulfill this goal through a few different avenues. One of my projects as an intern was to streamline the process of hosting a Lunch 'n' Learn. Before I started at Make-A-Wish, the Learning and Development team held a lot of the responsibility of ensuring that Lunch 'n' Learns went off without a hitch. However, when other departments were the guest speakers, our team was still running around, trying to get everything prepared, while we were playing catch up on our daily tasks. So, I went through every step of the process, broke it down into the roles and responsibilities of the hosting department, our department, and the I.T. department. Once I did that, as soon as a Lunch 'n' Learn was scheduled on the calendar, I approached the hosting department, went over the process with them, and handed over all responsibility, thus streamlining the process.
3. Explore different areas of a nonprofit organization. I know I want to work in the nonprofit sector once I graduate, but there are so many different aspects of a nonprofit that it is difficult to know where exactly I want to be after graduation. I hope that through this internship, I will be able to explore different career avenues and learn more about myself as a contributor to the nonprofit sector and where my skill set will best fit in a nonprofit organization.
Over the course of the semester, every other week at our team meetings, each person on the team gets to choose a different "guest speaker" to bring in from another department. It has been really neat to hear about the work that is done across the office, and how diverse the work is that is done even on the same floor! Some departments work closely with the chapters, and granting the wishes themselves, while others (such as mine) focus more on training the volunteers, and getting knowledge and tools to staff members. It is incredible that such a diverse group of people all come together because they are all so devoted to the mission of Make-A-Wish.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Career Services: How to Write A Winning Resume
For my second career services post, I chose to watch a webinar titled "How to Write a Winning Resume". In this webinar, a lot of interesting points were made about building a "winning resume." I learned several things, including:
1. The top half of your resume is considered the "hot zone" and needs to grab the attention of the recruiter. It should include your contact info, education, and experience.
2. Your resume typically should be no longer than one page.
3. Employers are looking for skills such as communication, detail oriented, organized, problem solving, and computer skills when they are recruiting to fill a position.
It was pretty interesting to listen to this webinar because the co-worker who I share a cubicle with at my internship, Lauren, is the HR Recruitment intern. I have seen her look through hundreds of resumes, and she has shown me really awesome resumes that are incredibly impressive, and then there are others that honestly, are quite sad. It definitely is true though that recruiters take about 15 to 40 seconds to look over a resume and determine if that candidate is moving on or not. When you think about having to market yourself in that little amount of time, it really puts into perspective just how important writing your resume, and tailoring it to each job is.
1. The top half of your resume is considered the "hot zone" and needs to grab the attention of the recruiter. It should include your contact info, education, and experience.
2. Your resume typically should be no longer than one page.
3. Employers are looking for skills such as communication, detail oriented, organized, problem solving, and computer skills when they are recruiting to fill a position.
It was pretty interesting to listen to this webinar because the co-worker who I share a cubicle with at my internship, Lauren, is the HR Recruitment intern. I have seen her look through hundreds of resumes, and she has shown me really awesome resumes that are incredibly impressive, and then there are others that honestly, are quite sad. It definitely is true though that recruiters take about 15 to 40 seconds to look over a resume and determine if that candidate is moving on or not. When you think about having to market yourself in that little amount of time, it really puts into perspective just how important writing your resume, and tailoring it to each job is.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Motivation and Working Out
I'll be honest -- never in a million years did I think I would be one of "those" people who worked their schedule around going to the gym, or sacrificed sleeping in or going to bed early to make sure I fit in a workout that day. But, I think I am slowly becoming one of "those" gym junkies! Who would have thought it?!
Although I am not a hardcore body builder, or anything like that, I really do enjoy working out (okay, not the sweaty part of it, or when it's super crowded at the gym). It's true that exercising does produce endorphins which make your mind happy. Even though I am usually exhausted when I come home from the gym, overall, I can definitely tell that I have more energy now than I did before I started working out a couple months ago.
Motivation is a HUGE component of working out. Without motivation, I would still be sitting on my butt at home instead of taking an hour out of my day to go work out. It is super helpful that one of my best friends works out with me, so she is constantly pushing me to lift more weights, increase my reps, and push myself until I finish--not just until it starts hurting. Working out has taught me a lot about motivation and pushing my limits. It is amazing to see just how much stronger I have gotten within eight weeks, and although I am nowhere near where I want to be in my workouts, I am encouraged that I am seeing progress, and that there are visible results.
So cheers, my peers, as I will be getting up early tomorrow to fit in a workout before the craziness of the next few days ensue!
Although I am not a hardcore body builder, or anything like that, I really do enjoy working out (okay, not the sweaty part of it, or when it's super crowded at the gym). It's true that exercising does produce endorphins which make your mind happy. Even though I am usually exhausted when I come home from the gym, overall, I can definitely tell that I have more energy now than I did before I started working out a couple months ago.
Motivation is a HUGE component of working out. Without motivation, I would still be sitting on my butt at home instead of taking an hour out of my day to go work out. It is super helpful that one of my best friends works out with me, so she is constantly pushing me to lift more weights, increase my reps, and push myself until I finish--not just until it starts hurting. Working out has taught me a lot about motivation and pushing my limits. It is amazing to see just how much stronger I have gotten within eight weeks, and although I am nowhere near where I want to be in my workouts, I am encouraged that I am seeing progress, and that there are visible results.
So cheers, my peers, as I will be getting up early tomorrow to fit in a workout before the craziness of the next few days ensue!
Sunday, April 5, 2015
La Familia
With today being a holiday, I am reminded again of the preciousness and frailty of family. It is really hard to be so far away from my sweet baby niece and nephew, especially on holidays, but knowing that we can at least connect with them via Skype is a bit comforting. My niece and nephew are the absolute joys of my life, and every time we get to Skype, I sign off smiling from ear to ear.
Ethan, who is almost 3 (I can't believe my little man is so big already!) is such a goof. Whenever we Skype, he hauls out all his trucks and cars and races them in front of the computer screen so we can bet on who is going to win the race. He tells us that it is still snowing outside, and when he sees his sister walk in the room he gets SO excited! He has such a gentle spirit and loves his little sister to the moon and back.
Ellie, my spunky little niece is a riot! Her giggle is the cutest thing ever, and while we were Skyping today, she was constantly blowing kisses to us, and had a HUGE grin on her face! She is starting to talk now, and when she showed us a pop up book with a bunny and she said "bunny" we all squealed and clapped and she was so proud that she did something good! It was adorable.
Although it is extremely difficult to be so far away from these little ones, it just makes it that more exciting when they get to come and visit us! I have a lot of nicknames, and a lot of different hats that I wear, but my favorite one so far has got to be "auntie". :)
Ethan, who is almost 3 (I can't believe my little man is so big already!) is such a goof. Whenever we Skype, he hauls out all his trucks and cars and races them in front of the computer screen so we can bet on who is going to win the race. He tells us that it is still snowing outside, and when he sees his sister walk in the room he gets SO excited! He has such a gentle spirit and loves his little sister to the moon and back.
Ellie, my spunky little niece is a riot! Her giggle is the cutest thing ever, and while we were Skyping today, she was constantly blowing kisses to us, and had a HUGE grin on her face! She is starting to talk now, and when she showed us a pop up book with a bunny and she said "bunny" we all squealed and clapped and she was so proud that she did something good! It was adorable.
Although it is extremely difficult to be so far away from these little ones, it just makes it that more exciting when they get to come and visit us! I have a lot of nicknames, and a lot of different hats that I wear, but my favorite one so far has got to be "auntie". :)
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Strengths of Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish has many many strengths as an organization, especially as a nonprofit organization! In my previous experiences with working with other nonprofit organizations, it has become apparent that many are quite unorganized and lack a central method of organizing and scheduling activities and events. However, Make-A-Wish is very cognizant of everything that is going on, and ensures that processes are implemented to promote and show all the moving parts. Since there are so many moving parts to everything that we do, we are constantly looking for better and more efficient ways to do things, until we are positive that we have found our best practices that will be enforced from here on out.
Another strength of Make-A-Wish is that their mission as an organization is truly at the heart of everything everyone does at the organization. We are all there for the wish kids, they are the reason that Make-A-Wish even exists! Although sometimes we get caught up in the business and craziness of work, we are often reminded of the reason why we are there--those huge smiles of the wish kids when they get their one true wish granted. It is super awesome too, because all around the office, there are huge pictures of different wish kids getting their wishes granted, and it is absolutely evident how much joy and hope we as an organization are able to give them, so it puts everything back into perspective again, and makes even the hardest days at work not so bad.
Another strength of Make-A-Wish is that their mission as an organization is truly at the heart of everything everyone does at the organization. We are all there for the wish kids, they are the reason that Make-A-Wish even exists! Although sometimes we get caught up in the business and craziness of work, we are often reminded of the reason why we are there--those huge smiles of the wish kids when they get their one true wish granted. It is super awesome too, because all around the office, there are huge pictures of different wish kids getting their wishes granted, and it is absolutely evident how much joy and hope we as an organization are able to give them, so it puts everything back into perspective again, and makes even the hardest days at work not so bad.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Public Service
Make-A-Wish America is a nonprofit organization that pours their heart and soul into granting the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses. Because Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit organization, it does not deal directly with the public sector as a government agency would, however, Make-A-Wish does participate in public service in a multitude of other ways.
The organization is known for bringing together communities in order to grant a wish for a child. Whether it be through building a neighborhood park, or rallying together at the annual Walk for Wishes event, Make-A-Wish serves the public by reminding them what is really important in life and bringing the joy of a child back to life. Make-A-Wish is truly a special organization with its mission at the heart of every single action and decision made.
The organization is known for bringing together communities in order to grant a wish for a child. Whether it be through building a neighborhood park, or rallying together at the annual Walk for Wishes event, Make-A-Wish serves the public by reminding them what is really important in life and bringing the joy of a child back to life. Make-A-Wish is truly a special organization with its mission at the heart of every single action and decision made.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Moving On
With only a year left until I complete my Bachelor's degree, I'm sure that I will have to start preparing myself to move on sooner rather than later. I know that college won't last forever, and that I can't have multiple part time jobs for the rest of my life. I know that sooner rather than later I will be moving out on my own, working a full time, salaried job, and making my own decisions, and not having to report back to anyone else.
Moving on has always scared me, up until now, that is. For some reason, I feel really ready to move on to the next stage of my life. College has certainly treated me well. I have learned a lot and gained an enormous amount of life experiences that have taught me well. In these 4 short semesters that I have been at ASU, I feel like I have pushed myself both academically, socially, and internally to grow outside my comfort zone. I have taken chances that I never would have before, and they have certainly paid off! Never in a million years did I think when I started out college, that I would have the opportunity to intern for Make-A-Wish America, or be offered to stay on for a second session!!!! Also, I never would have imagined that I would be named "Volunteer of the Month" at Make-A-Wish Arizona in January of this year! I did not anticipate graduating a year early, but it is happening, right before my eyes, and I am SO excited to graduate and be able to apply the knowledge and insight that I have gained through my courses and my internship to a job that I can put my heart and soul into, and hopefully impact a great many people in the process. There are so many amazing organizations out there, and I am so excited to see where I will actually end up after graduation!
Moving on has always scared me, up until now, that is. For some reason, I feel really ready to move on to the next stage of my life. College has certainly treated me well. I have learned a lot and gained an enormous amount of life experiences that have taught me well. In these 4 short semesters that I have been at ASU, I feel like I have pushed myself both academically, socially, and internally to grow outside my comfort zone. I have taken chances that I never would have before, and they have certainly paid off! Never in a million years did I think when I started out college, that I would have the opportunity to intern for Make-A-Wish America, or be offered to stay on for a second session!!!! Also, I never would have imagined that I would be named "Volunteer of the Month" at Make-A-Wish Arizona in January of this year! I did not anticipate graduating a year early, but it is happening, right before my eyes, and I am SO excited to graduate and be able to apply the knowledge and insight that I have gained through my courses and my internship to a job that I can put my heart and soul into, and hopefully impact a great many people in the process. There are so many amazing organizations out there, and I am so excited to see where I will actually end up after graduation!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Grad School & Growing Up
Today I registered for my last fall semester at ASU as an undergrad, and that is kind of blowing my mind! To think that I will only have one more semester to register for after that is exciting but scary all at the same time! I am so thrilled to almost be done with my Bachelor's degree, but now all these new contemplations are filling up my brain.
Should I go to grad school?
Can I afford grad school?
Should I start working right away?
Am I ready to not be in school anymore and just have work to worry about and not have to do homework or study anymore?!
Can I afford to move out after graduation???
All these questions are floating around in my mind and at times it is a tad overwhelming. I know that growing up means a lot of changes are in store, and I tend to freak out when a lot of things change all at once. But maybe somehow, if I can stagger these changes, then growing up won't be so frightening. Because after all, we are all meant to grow up and become productive members of society, right?
Should I go to grad school?
Can I afford grad school?
Should I start working right away?
Am I ready to not be in school anymore and just have work to worry about and not have to do homework or study anymore?!
Can I afford to move out after graduation???
All these questions are floating around in my mind and at times it is a tad overwhelming. I know that growing up means a lot of changes are in store, and I tend to freak out when a lot of things change all at once. But maybe somehow, if I can stagger these changes, then growing up won't be so frightening. Because after all, we are all meant to grow up and become productive members of society, right?
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Spring Fever
Spring break is usually the time where the semester seems to get really hard. Over the past nine weeks, the workload has slightly plateaued, but here on spring break, as I am gearing up for the last half of the semester, I am beginning to realize that it will certainly be an uphill climb!
Yes, I have already written six pages for my Policy Analysis, but I still have at least ten to fourteen more pages to write! Plus, I just realized that sometime between school and work and church, I have to find time to go to the Phoenix Art Museum for a "field trip" for my history class, although we are required to go on our own time, which is proving to be a difficult task. Along with that project, I have to create a multimedia project for my history class, which should be real interesting because I am absolutely not a technically savvy person. At all. I am freaking out about how much I have to get done within the next several weeks, and as much as my brain is yelling at me to use the couple days that I have off this week to get ahead, my body is telling me to SLOW DOWN and actually enjoy my "spring break" (in quotations because I don't really get a vacation since I am working most of this week and only have the two days that I normally go to school off). And even as I am looking back at the beginning of this week, I didn't really relax. I washed my car, I did the household's laundry, I cleaned out my closet, updated my budget, and filled out scholarship applications. Busy, busy busy. That's how I will always be.
Yes, I have already written six pages for my Policy Analysis, but I still have at least ten to fourteen more pages to write! Plus, I just realized that sometime between school and work and church, I have to find time to go to the Phoenix Art Museum for a "field trip" for my history class, although we are required to go on our own time, which is proving to be a difficult task. Along with that project, I have to create a multimedia project for my history class, which should be real interesting because I am absolutely not a technically savvy person. At all. I am freaking out about how much I have to get done within the next several weeks, and as much as my brain is yelling at me to use the couple days that I have off this week to get ahead, my body is telling me to SLOW DOWN and actually enjoy my "spring break" (in quotations because I don't really get a vacation since I am working most of this week and only have the two days that I normally go to school off). And even as I am looking back at the beginning of this week, I didn't really relax. I washed my car, I did the household's laundry, I cleaned out my closet, updated my budget, and filled out scholarship applications. Busy, busy busy. That's how I will always be.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Interview with Meg Luther, HR Recruitment Manager
For this blog post I chose to interview one of my supervisors, Meg Luther. I was so excited when Meg agreed to answer some questions for me, because it gave me further insight into this career path and this company as well.
During our interview, we discussed multiple aspects of Meg's job including main job responsibilities, education & training that is needed, new trends in the field, and how she chose this career in Human Resources.
1. What are your main job responsibilities?
~ My role has recently shifted to focus on college programs, mainly local and what we call the Big 4: Student organizations, Greek life, Academic programs, and connecting with career centers as well. I also oversee the internship program and ensure that our interns are settling in well and that they have everything they need to learn and grow. I also oversee special projects such as the BRIDGE program and the Mentoring program.
2. How did you choose this career?
~ I started out working in retail, and I knew I wanted to work with people, but I didn't really want to work in sales or be a teacher. I noticed that people in the Human Resource field were able to focus on benefiting their employees, and focus on the culture of the company and its employees and I wanted to be a part of that.
3. What type of education or training is needed for this position?
~ I think a business background is extremely important because it creates the bigger picture of why Human Resources is important. I also think that having work experience with people managing is very crucial because if you have been a supervisor or managed people in any way before, then you know better how to put out fires and how to have difficult conversations with people, or give feedback that feels like a gift, and not a bloodbath.
4. What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?
~ Take every experience as a gift and a learning opportunity; make every moment a moment to learn, and keep track of accomplishments you have made and connections/networks that you have made.
5. What is your favorite part about this job and working for Make-A-Wish?
~ I love that I am able to successfully create something from scratch and see my work come to fruition. When I started a year ago, there was barely an internship program in the works, and I was given the opportunity to build this program up to what it is now today.
Thank you Meg for sharing your experiences with me!
During our interview, we discussed multiple aspects of Meg's job including main job responsibilities, education & training that is needed, new trends in the field, and how she chose this career in Human Resources.
1. What are your main job responsibilities?
~ My role has recently shifted to focus on college programs, mainly local and what we call the Big 4: Student organizations, Greek life, Academic programs, and connecting with career centers as well. I also oversee the internship program and ensure that our interns are settling in well and that they have everything they need to learn and grow. I also oversee special projects such as the BRIDGE program and the Mentoring program.
2. How did you choose this career?
~ I started out working in retail, and I knew I wanted to work with people, but I didn't really want to work in sales or be a teacher. I noticed that people in the Human Resource field were able to focus on benefiting their employees, and focus on the culture of the company and its employees and I wanted to be a part of that.
3. What type of education or training is needed for this position?
~ I think a business background is extremely important because it creates the bigger picture of why Human Resources is important. I also think that having work experience with people managing is very crucial because if you have been a supervisor or managed people in any way before, then you know better how to put out fires and how to have difficult conversations with people, or give feedback that feels like a gift, and not a bloodbath.
4. What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?
~ Take every experience as a gift and a learning opportunity; make every moment a moment to learn, and keep track of accomplishments you have made and connections/networks that you have made.
5. What is your favorite part about this job and working for Make-A-Wish?
~ I love that I am able to successfully create something from scratch and see my work come to fruition. When I started a year ago, there was barely an internship program in the works, and I was given the opportunity to build this program up to what it is now today.
Thank you Meg for sharing your experiences with me!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Leadership
Leadership plays a huge role in my internship, much more that I expected it would. Within the first week of my internship, my manager assigned me the role of being project manager for the planning of a huge international, annual conference! I was shocked that I had been given such an important role so soon, but I was also extremely excited because keeping people on track and making sure deadlines are met are a few of my strong suits! The planning for this conference can be a bit overwhelming at times, because there is so much information, and so many people that have to be accommodated, and since I wasn't at the conference last year, I don't really have much to reference when it comes to planning this year's conference. Although I face these challenges, my team members have been so great about helping me out with the planning and guiding me when I need some previous reference from someone with more experience.
I have also been heading up the planning and implementation of a sustainability plan to ensure that the use of a new learning tool is effective in the office among the staff. I have created an interactive contest that will engage the employees in the new learning tool and will incentivize them to utilize the tool more than they have been. The results of the contest and the usage of the tool will then be presented to our CEO for approval.
My co-workers and supervisor display leadership capabilities on a daily basis. Because we are part of the Learning and Development team, we often have to take a lot of initiative in teaching ourselves a program or skill, so we can become an expert on it, and then teach that skill in return to other employees.
I have also been heading up the planning and implementation of a sustainability plan to ensure that the use of a new learning tool is effective in the office among the staff. I have created an interactive contest that will engage the employees in the new learning tool and will incentivize them to utilize the tool more than they have been. The results of the contest and the usage of the tool will then be presented to our CEO for approval.
My co-workers and supervisor display leadership capabilities on a daily basis. Because we are part of the Learning and Development team, we often have to take a lot of initiative in teaching ourselves a program or skill, so we can become an expert on it, and then teach that skill in return to other employees.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Midterms, oh Midterms
Although it literally feels like just last week I was getting ready to start Spring semester, I am now having to face the reality of preparing for midterms next week! I am beginning to feel quite overwhelmed at the moment, as I am looking through the syllabi for all of my courses and realizing that there is not a ton of time left to do a LOT of work!
Along with studying for midterms, I have a book review, multiple projects, and a fifteen page paper to think about...yes, FIFTEEN pages about urban policy. At least the instructor allowed us to choose our topic, and there is a TON of information about social welfare policy, so hopefully it won't be too much of a struggle to crank out that paper. I might, however, just stop midway through due to my hands cramping up from typing that much, but I guess time will tell soon enough how awful this assignment will be.
As I am sitting here writing this post, I am shuffling through pretty much every other assignment that I have to do to put off studying for my midterm next Thursday as long as possible. I know that I should start studying now, but honestly, I just don't even know where to start! Wish me luck!!!!
Along with studying for midterms, I have a book review, multiple projects, and a fifteen page paper to think about...yes, FIFTEEN pages about urban policy. At least the instructor allowed us to choose our topic, and there is a TON of information about social welfare policy, so hopefully it won't be too much of a struggle to crank out that paper. I might, however, just stop midway through due to my hands cramping up from typing that much, but I guess time will tell soon enough how awful this assignment will be.
As I am sitting here writing this post, I am shuffling through pretty much every other assignment that I have to do to put off studying for my midterm next Thursday as long as possible. I know that I should start studying now, but honestly, I just don't even know where to start! Wish me luck!!!!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Car Troubles...
With my car only being two years old, I usually don't anticipate having car troubles like people with older cars would on a more regular basis. But oh, how foolish I am to have thought that way.
This weekend, we had a youth sing at my church, where hundreds of people come to sing and catch up with old friends. It is always a busy weekend filled with singing, singing, and more singing! Saturday started off just fine, I made it to church on time for practice, and met new people, caught up with old friends, and didn't have any concerns. That is, until my friend got into my car after church as we were going to head over to another friend's house to hang out. As soon as I got in the driver's seat, I hear from the backseat "Kenzie, why isn't your door closing?" Confused as to what my friend was talking about, I got out, came over to her side of the car, slammed the door, and watched it swing back open. Time after time again, all of my friends and I attempted to slam the door shut enough to get it to latch and stay shut. Nothing worked. Realizing that I couldn't drive anywhere without fear of my back door flying open on the freeway, I called my dad, hoping that I wouldn't have to be stuck in the church parking lot for too long. (By this time, it was 10:30 at night and everyone else had pretty much left.)
Luckily, my sister and a few guys were still at church, so with their quick thinking, they drove to Walmart, bought a ratchet strap and tied my two back doors together from the inside so I could at least drive to the dealership without fear of my one door flying open! Thankfully, they were able to fix my car today, but that was definitely NOT the way I anticipated spending my three day weekend!
This weekend, we had a youth sing at my church, where hundreds of people come to sing and catch up with old friends. It is always a busy weekend filled with singing, singing, and more singing! Saturday started off just fine, I made it to church on time for practice, and met new people, caught up with old friends, and didn't have any concerns. That is, until my friend got into my car after church as we were going to head over to another friend's house to hang out. As soon as I got in the driver's seat, I hear from the backseat "Kenzie, why isn't your door closing?" Confused as to what my friend was talking about, I got out, came over to her side of the car, slammed the door, and watched it swing back open. Time after time again, all of my friends and I attempted to slam the door shut enough to get it to latch and stay shut. Nothing worked. Realizing that I couldn't drive anywhere without fear of my back door flying open on the freeway, I called my dad, hoping that I wouldn't have to be stuck in the church parking lot for too long. (By this time, it was 10:30 at night and everyone else had pretty much left.)
Luckily, my sister and a few guys were still at church, so with their quick thinking, they drove to Walmart, bought a ratchet strap and tied my two back doors together from the inside so I could at least drive to the dealership without fear of my one door flying open! Thankfully, they were able to fix my car today, but that was definitely NOT the way I anticipated spending my three day weekend!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Thank Goodness for Netflix
It is never a good thing when you wake up with the stomach flu and have to call in sick to your boss at your internship. I've been so sad that I've had to miss an entire day! However, because I had to call out sick, I had most of the day to catch up on school work and catch up on Netflix as well. And all I can say is, thank goodness for Netflix because it sure acts as a good distraction from thinking about how miserable I've been feeling all day! I don't know what it is about this strain of the flu, but it is quite awful, and somehow worse than the "normal" flu! I am pretty sure I have watched close to ten episodes of Friends, but I still have a long way to go, seeing as how I'm only in season two and I think there are ten seasons total! Although I do love watching Friends, and catching up on other shows on Netflix, I so hope that this is just a short-lived thing, so I can resume my bustling, busy life soon.
Here's to hoping this is just a twenty four hour thing and I will be back to feeling normal tomorrow, because I am pretty positive that I can only be this lazy and sleep this much for one day without going crazy.
Here's to hoping this is just a twenty four hour thing and I will be back to feeling normal tomorrow, because I am pretty positive that I can only be this lazy and sleep this much for one day without going crazy.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Job Search Strategies Webinar
For my first Career Services event, I "attended" a webinar titled "Job Search Strategies". Since my schedule is so packed and I commute over an hour each way both to school and my internship, I am thankful that these webinars are available to us! I really wanted to watch the webinar about Linkedin strategies, but even with my volume all the way up, I was barely able to hear the speaker! So, instead I learned about job search strategies.
Some helpful things that I took from this webinar include:
1. Google yourself to make sure nothing inappropriate comes up; most employers research your name, even before they interview or call you. If there are inappropriate things on any social media pages, it could come back to haunt you.
2. Utilize Linkedin and Indeed.com to search for current openings. Linkedin is an especially great site to connect with potential employers and jobs that you may not have thought about before.
3. Constantly and consistently look for jobs/internships. It will not be helpful to you in the long run if you only search for a job for a day or two, and then give up. New job openings are often posted daily and it is important to jump on these openings when they are newly posted.
Overall, this webinar provided some helpful links for job searches, but I knew most of the information already from previous sessions that I was required to attend my freshman year at ASU.
Some helpful things that I took from this webinar include:
1. Google yourself to make sure nothing inappropriate comes up; most employers research your name, even before they interview or call you. If there are inappropriate things on any social media pages, it could come back to haunt you.
2. Utilize Linkedin and Indeed.com to search for current openings. Linkedin is an especially great site to connect with potential employers and jobs that you may not have thought about before.
3. Constantly and consistently look for jobs/internships. It will not be helpful to you in the long run if you only search for a job for a day or two, and then give up. New job openings are often posted daily and it is important to jump on these openings when they are newly posted.
Overall, this webinar provided some helpful links for job searches, but I knew most of the information already from previous sessions that I was required to attend my freshman year at ASU.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Pet Peeves & Blessings
Throughout my working career, I have never really had a long commute to my job. Thirty minutes max. But for this internship, I commute over an hour each way from my home to the office! I have definitely learned a lot about myself as a driver in these long daily treks. Pet peeves of mine have been accentuated on the daily, but also blessings that I would not have noticed before appear right before my eyes.
The Pet Peeves:
The Blessings:
The Pet Peeves:
- Drivers who do not know how to merge!!! (Especially from the 51 onto the 101 at the bridge, but the construction of that in itself is probably another pet peeve)
- When I can visibly see an individual who is driving, pull out his phone, and take a picture of the sunset WHILE he is merging on said bridge!
- Semi-trucks who drive in the farthest left lane...I'm sorry, how am I supposed to pass you on the right when the left side is the "passing side" and the right is "suicide"???
The Blessings:
- My drive to work is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! For as much as I hate dealing with other people on the road, and as much as I dislike driving, the mountains and the desert landscape is particularly gorgeous along my path to work.
- Time to get caught up on current events. An hour to and from gives me plenty of time to listen to NPR and be fully prepared to engage in discussions relating to current events in my public policy classes when we are analyzing how the topic at hand is applicable to every day life.
- Time to think and to clear my head. Two hours alone in the car everyday gives me an opportunity to have some "me" time and hash through most anything that has been bugging me.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
A Typical Day...
Have I mentioned before that I am SO incredibly blessed to intern with probably THE most amazing organization EVER?! Well, I am! I can now say that I have made it through my first week of my internship, and I am even more excited for this semester than I was three weeks ago when it started!
This first week was a bit crazy with getting settled into a routine and everything, but a typical day in the Learning and Development department at Make-A-Wish looks something like this:
1. Check my email & calendar and take note of all the meetings I have that day.
2. Make a list of all the training modules, emails, meetings, and tasks that I need to complete that day. (I have slight OCD tendencies, so I like to write everything down and cross off tasks as they are completed)
3. Sit at the computer and prepare for the upcoming annual conference. I just found out on Friday that I get to head up the planning for this conference, and people in my department will be reporting back to me! It's a huge responsibility, but I am so excited for this opportunity to learn and grow my skill set for the future!
4. Attend meetings (some are only 15 minutes long while others take up a good two hours). I think I will grow to love meetings, because they sure make the day go by fast!
I honestly don't think I will ever tire of this job; every day brings something new and in the Learning and Development department especially, there are always new opportunities to learn and gain more knowledge! Here's to a semester full of opportunity and a bright outlook!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Goodbyes & Hellos
Goodbyes have always been hard for me, and this week is full of goodbyes. This week before I start my internship, I have to say goodbye to both of my jobs that I have been at for over a year. I have to say goodbye to my wonderful co-workers and managers, and goodbye to my employee discount at my favorite store (which I'm probably most sad about!). I know that my time away from these jobs is only temporary, and that I will back once summer break is here, but it doesn't seem to make saying goodbye any easier.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Time is Fleeting
As I sit here writing this post, I can barely believe that exactly one week from today, I will be starting my internship with Make a Wish! My interview and job offer came months ago, and January 26th seemed so far away only a couple months ago. But now, Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas and time with family is over, and the new year is already on a roll! My first week of class is even over! I know that I will barely blink and the semester will be over, and I'll be getting ready to start my senior year of college.
Growing up, my parents always told me to enjoy my childhood because life somehow keeps going by faster and faster as the years pass by. I never believed them, that is until I started noticing this pattern for myself. It doesn't help any that I am a year ahead in my bachelor's program, so I will be graduating in three years instead of four, seemingly speeding up time even more! It scares me to think that I will soon be out in the "real world". I will be an adult in the workforce, living on my own, being a productive contributor to society, with no one but myself to hold accountable for my actions. That is a notion that is scary and thrilling all at the same time. I am so excited for where I am at in life right now, but I am just as anxious to see what the future holds!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
A Wish Come True (pun intended)
Make a Wish is an international nonprofit that was founded in Phoenix in 1980 by Frank Shankwitz (a police officer who granted the first wish of Chris, a young boy battling leukemia). Their incredible mission to: "grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy” is one full of passion and ambition. Make a Wish strives each year to grant more and more wishes than the year before, striving to ultimately be able to grant the wish of every eligible child. Currently, across several countries, Make a Wish has been able to grant a wish approximately every 37 minutes. That is awesome!!!
I will be interning for the Learning and Development department at the national headquarters for Make a Wish this semester. As a part of this department, I will:
~ Assist with the development of online and instructor-led classroom training programs for systems and other broad business topics
~ Design training materials and activities
~ Publish, distribute and promote onsite training, new on-line course offerings and course schedules
I am so excited to start this journey and cannot wait to share more about all of my experiences this semester!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Nice to Meet You
Hello to my fellow bloggers and ASU peers. My name is Mackenzie, and I am currently a Junior at Arizona State University. I am studying Public Service and Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. This is my second year on campus, and it still boggles my mind that I will be graduating in only three short semesters!
I am definitely an academically driven student, as I am a year ahead in my studies. I love to read, I maintain my own personal blog, and most of those who know me would call me a "workaholic". Since my senior year in high school I have worked two jobs, and I enjoy keeping busy as an executive assistant at one job, and styling others at my retail job. However, when I do happen to have a spare moment or two, I love spending time with my niece and nephew and being the "cool, young auntie". Baking sweet goodies is also one of my hobbies and de-stressers (especially around finals time)!
I am so excited for the many opportunities I will have this semester being an intern for Make a Wish America and three goals that I hope to achieve through this internship are:
1. Learn the ins and outs of the behind the scenes operations in a nonprofit organization (or at least in the Learning & Development department of the organization). I want to learn what keeps the organization running.
2. Start and finish a project that will help the Learning & Development department to grow and expand in a way that will benefit it in the future. I want to create a process that is efficient and that can be replicated by others in the future to produce quality work.
3. Explore different areas of a nonprofit organization. I know I want to work in the nonprofit sector once I graduate, but there are so many different aspects of a nonprofit that it is difficult to know where exactly I want to be after graduation. I hope that through this internship, I will be able to explore different career avenues and learn more about myself as a contributor to the nonprofit sector and where my skill set will best fit in a nonprofit organization.
I am definitely an academically driven student, as I am a year ahead in my studies. I love to read, I maintain my own personal blog, and most of those who know me would call me a "workaholic". Since my senior year in high school I have worked two jobs, and I enjoy keeping busy as an executive assistant at one job, and styling others at my retail job. However, when I do happen to have a spare moment or two, I love spending time with my niece and nephew and being the "cool, young auntie". Baking sweet goodies is also one of my hobbies and de-stressers (especially around finals time)!
1. Learn the ins and outs of the behind the scenes operations in a nonprofit organization (or at least in the Learning & Development department of the organization). I want to learn what keeps the organization running.
2. Start and finish a project that will help the Learning & Development department to grow and expand in a way that will benefit it in the future. I want to create a process that is efficient and that can be replicated by others in the future to produce quality work.
3. Explore different areas of a nonprofit organization. I know I want to work in the nonprofit sector once I graduate, but there are so many different aspects of a nonprofit that it is difficult to know where exactly I want to be after graduation. I hope that through this internship, I will be able to explore different career avenues and learn more about myself as a contributor to the nonprofit sector and where my skill set will best fit in a nonprofit organization.
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