My internship experience confirmed that whichever career path I choose, I find the most meaning in working with people. Before this internship, I was considering a career in healthcare, particularly genetic counseling. I thought that it would be a good balance of my Biology degree and knowledge, while also supporting people through emotional times. As a result of my internship, I'm curious to explore more career paths. One of the main skills I gained was the ability to support people who have a wide range of disabilities and differences. For example, many young people are non-verbal or use limited speech. I adapted my approach to each individual, always trying to find something to connect over. I plan to use this skill of innovating communication strategies in all my future jobs, especially in healthcare.
An important lesson I learned was to be outgoing and proactive when working with people. To best support them, I had to actively engage with each individual. Learning this was important for me, especially as I tend to lean more introverted. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and out of my head. Rather than worrying about the perfect approach, I learned to experiment and see what works best for each individual instead. The main thing I gained from this experience is confidence in my ability to be a good leader.
Erin Bartholomew