By Christian Deshazo
Being the Program Manager intern at the Women’s Center was an experience for which I am forever thankful. This internship, specifically, allowed me the opportunity to organize and execute events, which were fresh responsibilities that I had not undertaken. These experiences, in particular, enabled me to learn the invaluable skills of punctuality, administrative duties, and establishing an agenda and conducting a meeting. These newfound sets of skill will undoubtedly help me with future jobs.
One of the most memorable events, and also the event that was the most fun to plan, was the Women’s History Month Trivia Week and Tabling. I took this event in a direction where it had never been: I incorporated the spinning prize wheel, which until then had scarcely been used. I also incorporated large and fuzzy purple dice. I had a lot of fun organizing the event and a lot of fun at the tabling. It was rewarding to see participants enjoying the event while also learning about notable women in history.
My biggest weakness was the lack of experience managing programs. Which, of course, led to some conflicts during the internship. For the first couple of months, I was a bit lost. In other words, I was still learning the ropes and how to navigate this position. It took a brief moment for me to learn where files were, and which files I was supposed to turn to for assistance. However, every moment of this internship, the good and especially the hard, was a learning experience of which I am beyond appreciative. It has, ultimately, shaped me into a person who is a much more valuable in the workforce. Through and through, my time interning at the Women’s Center has been nothing short of pleasant. I highly recommend the Program Manager internship.