By Hannah Hagan 
Ah, the end of the semester – as time grows shorter and my to-do list grows longer, as I begin to select my classes for next semester, and as I begin to recycle the copious amounts of papers that have accumulated in my binders and backpacks, I have little choice but to reflect upon what I’ve learned over the past four months. So far, the list looks something like this:
1. Don’t sign up for online classes if…you hate online classes (seems obvious enough, but bears repeating).
2. I really ought to move somewhere where it doesn’t snow IN APRIL, for Pete’s sake.
3. Caffeine will be there for me when no one else is.
4. If you must work (which I do, due to my unfortunate lack of trust fund/401k/etc.), you might as well work somewhere that aligns with your values.
All jokes aside, that last point really is important. While I’ve understood this about life for a while now, my lack of credentials and professional experience have generally limited me from enacting this ideal in my day-to-day life. Like most people my age, I’ve had more than plenty of experiences working in environments that ultimately do very little for my emotional being – retail, food service, “warm body” desk jobs, you know. And while these jobs are more than necessary, I never felt enriched by any of my experiences in these places. More often than helping me understand what my values are, they helped realize what they most certainly are not.
Enter: the UMKC Women’s Center.
The scene: I’m home, furiously scrolling through the course catalog, searching for something – anything – that will not only fill up my schedule, but offer a chance at professional development and the ever-elusive networking. An internship sounds nice, but where’s a gal like me supposed to intern with half an English degree and zero office experience? After a series of conversations with advisors and a plethora of online searches, I decide to give the Women’s Center a shot. I’m not sure if I’ll be hired, but at least it won’t be for lack of trying.
Fast-forward sixteen weeks and I’m officially on the other side of my first real internship. The goals I entered with – professional development and networking – now pale in comparison to what I’ve really gained. For the first time ever, I have a genuine sense of what I’d like to make a career in. My interest in women’s advocacy has blossomed into a passion, and it is a field that I never want to be separated from again. Through my work at the Women’s Center, I learned effective methods for identifying and communicating real issues facing women in our community and I had the opportunity to develop educational (and fun!) programs to address these issues. I had the privilege to work with strong women who are equally committed to gender equity, hear their stories, and become their friends. Most of all, I got to work within my values, and from those values produce real, tangible action. How lucky am I?
Turns out, I’ve learned a lot more than what can be articulated in a numbered list. And I still have so much more to learn – which is why I’m thrilled to be returning to the Women’s Center next semester! I’m looking forward to new programs and new faces, but I’ll always look back to this semester as “where it all began.” Until then, have a great finals week and an even better summer!