The End

   For my last post I figured I'd reflect on what I learned most in my time as an intern.  It ended a week ago, and I had a pretty good experience, but I'm ready to get on to the next phase of my life.  While at Phoenix Sister Cities I learned more about what I don't want to do rather than what I do want to do.  It was a good office, good work, but not for me.  I think learning this was is just as valuable as if I had learned I loved the work and wanted to do it for the rest of my life.  So while it was a great experience, it is not an experience I want to make a career out of, and I am happy with that realization.
   So now I'm on to the next phase in my life.  Starting a new job that is in an area I'm interested in, and applying to programs that suite me better than an MPA.  For now though, I'm going to home to California for the holidays and am excited to relax and see my family and friends :) This is my favorite time of year.
   I can go into the Christmas season knowing that I had a successful semester and I learned a lot about what I want for my future career...yay for important life decisions.  I've enjoyed hearing what many of the rest of you have been up to this semester, and I hope you all got great things out of your internship experience.  Have a great Winter break everyone!

Last Day

   The other day was my last day on the job at Phoenix Sister Cities.  Fifteen weeks went by faster than I could have imagined.
   It was a really nice last day.  The office bought us interns lunch and gave us a thank you gift.  We spent the lunch hour talking about our next plans and our favorite parts of the internship.  That day the applications for the Youth Ambassador Program were due, and so on our last day we actually stayed a couple hours late to help out with sorting applications and getting them ready to be reviewed.  It was a fun last day to wrap up our time in the office.  Once we were done the interns and I went out for appetizers and drinks as a way to celebrate!
   It's a little sad that it's already over, but I'm thankful for the experience I had and the people I met.  Great semester!

Success!

   Today I got a couple pieces of good news.  First, I got the job at Grand Canyon University, which I'm really excited about.  I start January 3rd, which gives me a nice christmas break before I have to get to it again.  Second, I heard back from U of A about the program I applied to, and I was accepted.  Again, very excited!
   It's safe to say I've had a good day and that I'm lucky to have such great opportunities in my life right now :)

Job Interview

   As I mentioned before, I got a job interview at Grand Canyon University as an Academic Counselor.  I went in last week and I think the interview went really well.  If I get the job it will be a lot of phone work, seeing as how the students enrolled at GCU are mostly in online programs all over the country.  But, I am looking forward to hearing back from them because this is along the lines of what I want to do.  Granted, i want to do it in a more traditional setting on a university campus, meeting in person with students, but for right now this would be a really great opportunity to get some experience in that field.
  I should be hearing back any day, and hopefully things work out :)

Resume Help

   A few weeks ago I went to the career services office to get my resume looked at for a job I was applying to.  It was a good experience, mainly because I didn't have a lot to change :).  I learned that I've done a pretty good job at organizing my resume and providing accurate descriptions of my work and education.  So that was good news.  I felt pretty confident turning in my resume after that experience.  I was called in for an interview for the job I applied to the other day and I think that went well too.  Fingers crossed!

Thanksgiving Weekend

   This past weekend for Thanksgiving I went home to California.  It was such a nice break!  I had a great time seeing my family and my friends who are still back in Long Beach.  Although it was a short four days, it was a much needed relaxing weekend.  I got to see a couple movies too, one of which was The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.  If anyone has read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, then you know how amazing they are!  And if you haven't, you are missing out, and have to read them when you get some spare time.  The movie was great, and getting to see it was a highlight of my weekend :) Now it's back to the internship for my last week in the office!

Internship Interviews

   Last week we held the interviews for the Spring intern positions.  It seemed like just yesterday I was sitting in the chair they were sitting in, interviewing for the position I now have.  The other interns and I got to be involved in the interview process, and it was a fun and helpful experience.
   Each of us interns got to sit in on 3 to 4 interviews, ask questions, and answer their questions about what the internship entails.  It was good for us because we got to see how people interview, take away things that people did well, and become more aware of what not to do and what not to say.  Most of the interviews I got to sit in on though, the interviewees did a really good job.  There were 13 or so applicants and only 4 spots though....so there were decisions to be made after the interviews were said and done.
   I also got to be involved in giving opinions about who I thought would do a good job as an intern.  Most of us agreed on who should definitely get a position, but there were a couple of people that were maybes and discussion needed to be had before they were dismissed.  I realize now how hard it can be when so many good applicants are in the running.  It's too bad only 4 positions are available, because I have no doubt that many of the applicants would have done a great job and would have loved working at Phoenix Sister Cities.
   Anyway, all in all, I really enjoyed being a part of the interview process.  I learned a lot, and I'm glad I had a hand in seeing who will take the newly opened spots come January :)