An Intern's Journey (The Final Note)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
My journey began in the third week of January as the Growth Council's intern, but it is now coming to an end. With sadness, I am leaving the Growth Council after completing my spring semester's internship, but I am not leaving as the same person or professional. I have learned far beyond what I thought I would and have met both personal and professional goals that I did not even realize I had.
As a senior at Indiana Wesleyan University, I learned about the Growth Council after Mayor Seybold came and spoke in my Strategic Marketing class taught by Dr. Keith Starcher. The Mayor spoke about the Growth Council and their involvement in the business community. From his talk in my class, I gained interest and pursued opportunities through the Growth Council and from there the journey began!
I call this internship a journey because that is what it truly was for me. I have been blessed to take part in some amazing experiences and opportunities since my employment. As the intern, I helped with several events hosted by the Growth Council this spring, organized the Growth Council's first Pre-Event to the Annual Dinner for students, wrote articles on behalf of the Growth Council and was empowered to help launch a new program for the Growth Council. The new program will help to stimulate a spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth of Grant County and help to prepare the next generation for entrepreneurial success. It will be launched in the fall of 2011 as a pilot program in Marion High School. I have dedicated time and enthusiasm into this program and look forward to seeing it succeed.
Through my involvement at the Growth Council, I have been given a new understanding of "marketing" or what serving a business community really looks like. By my director's, Tim Eckerle, example of service to the community, I have felt empowered and motivated to pursue my own goals and serve a community much like he has for over 28 years. Tim is not the only person that has impacted my life over the past three months, Angelina Lindahl, the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Growth Council, has made quite a difference as well. Because of her example of intentionality and class while communicating, designing or planning for the Growth Council, she has set my professional standards high and goals even higher. In my eyes, Tim and Angelina are truly "movers and shakers" in this business community and will continue to make a difference in Grant County through their involvement.
My journey with the Growth Council may have come to an end, by my agreed term of employment, but this rich and meaningful experience will continue to have an impact on my life both personally and professionally.
