Week #9

Throughout my internship, I have been reminded of the importance of leadership in the sense of taking initiative. As the only intern, I usually have directions and instructions as to what tasks I am to complete, but sometimes my boss may be caught up handling some other issue. Because I have been working for enough time to know the goings on of the Academy, I sometimes have to take assignment with little direction or explanation in order to make the teachers’ and the director’s lives easier. Doing what needs to be done before being asked is something that I have always known to do, however the importance of it has been highlighted to me over the course of the summer. This forces me to take leadership in tasks around the Academy and allows me more responsibility than I previously possessed.

I additionally have learned that I really enjoy working with children. As a working professional, I have reestablished my desire to form relationships with children and help them succeed in whatever they choose to do. I am not exactly sure how that will translate later on in life, but I know that this desire to work with kids will be a driving factor in my decision making. Piggybacking on the meaningful relationships I am making with the children I am working with, the highlight of my week was when I returned from vacation on Monday, so many of them were so excited to see my return. As I checked them in in the morning, numerous students made comments such as “She’s back!” or “Miss. Payton, you’re back!” This made me feel so warm inside because it reinforced my confidence in the work that I am doing and the importance of it all!