lessons

Every night I can't help but smile about how productive I was that day. What can I say, I'm a nerd! :) I love going to work for 8 hours and checking projects off my list, running errands, going to the gym, cooking dinner with Doug, and then working on summer school projects. I feel like I am maximizing my days and taking full advantage of this summer. I cannot believe how much I have done already. This is the first summer that I have kept my brain and body consistently busy despite how easy it could be to let the books stay closed and my hand keep hitting the snooze button on my alarm.

I know that this experience will benefit my future so much. I have learned many business, social, and personal lessons already in the past five weeks that I know will remain with me forever. This is also one of the first times that I have felt like an equal peer to my coworkers. I was intimidated coming into this summer, worried about having the label "intern" stamped on my forehead. I knew I was worth more than fetching coffee and addressing envelopes, but I was worried that might be what my coworkers equated me with. I now know that my boss and coworkers feel the same way. I am so thankful for the projects I have been given responsibility for. I am thankful for the adult interactions I have with my coworkers. I am thankful for the input they expect of me.

At the beginning of this summer, before my internship, I asked my grandparents what one lesson they learned and have found most valuable throughout their life. My grandpa said it took him too long to understand and believe that his opinion was worthy of being heard. He had ideas but wouldn't share them. My grandpa's words stuck with me as I entered into my internship. That message was then emphasized when in conversation with Doug, he mentioned, "Hilary, you are an employee of NiSoft. You are not just the intern. We want and expect for you to give your input and ideas from a fresh perspective." Wow. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I'm not sure that my grandpa or Doug realize what their words meant to me, but I have established a new confidence in myself within the business world. I am not nervous to give my opinion. I am not offended when my opinion isn't agreed with or liked. I just want to be and deserve to be heard.