I've Done It All

I wrote a minuscule piece about my thoughts on this during the summer after my freshman year of college, but I feel like now is the perfect time to expand on it.  Because after all, three years actually gives you some good perspective into how the world works and changes you a little bit at a time.  At least I hope.  Today's thoughts: "what the heck do I do during the summers between college years?"  Well, after analyzing my life a bit, I realized that I am much more qualified to answer this question than I was three years ago, considering that I have indeed done it all.  Here are 3 of my answers:

 

Full-Time Summer Job (Summer 2013): I've said it time and again, but I absolutely loved my first job as a counselor at Camp Seafarer.  I think that sleepaway camp is the best possible environment for children to learn and grow, in addition to being a great place for former campers to give back as staff members.  Don't get me wrong-the days can be blistering hot and long, you're tired all the time almost all the time, and the living situations aren't the most ideal.  But, then again, when you're doing what you love, and you're getting PAID to do it, AND there's a considerable amount of time off, how can you complain?  Full-time summer jobs aren't restricted to working at camps, though.  I have friends who have worked full-time at law firms and offices and know dozens who have done paid internships (kind of a hybrid between this category and the one below).  I just preferred camp because a) I grew up there and had worked there before, b) the job uniform was flip-flops and a bathing suit 90% of the time, and c) I love working with children.  The options are endless, so why not give it a shot?!

Internship (Summer 2014): I opted for the internship route the summer after my sophomore year because I knew that I wanted to be competitive when I was applying to graduate school.  I got lucky that I found probably the only speech pathology internship on the internet and that I loved it right from the start.  For five weeks I worked with a team of four other interns to plan and implement a summer day camp for children with speech problems and developmental/intellectual disorders.  It was perfect for me because I got to utilize some of what I had learned as a result of my education minor and experience as a camp counselor, in addition to learning more about the speech pathology career path.  It was an amazing experience both inside and outside the classroom; I lived in a dorm/apartment with another fellow intern in Charlotte, North Carolina for the summer, and we had a blast exploring different attractions in the area (i.e. Carowinds, Kings Mountain State Park, a Rascal Flatts concert & more).  The organization also made a strong effort to engage the interns outside of the internship with a different social event each week.  Even though I wasn't compensated for the summer, I learned so much that prepared me for graduate school and I left with letters of recommendation for graduate school thanks to my supervisor.

Study Abroad (Summer 2015): I went into college knowing that I wanted to study abroad in Europe at some point or another.  Because my major did not parallel with a study abroad program, and my extracurricular activities did not permit a semester away, I opted to go abroad for a summer.  I went through a company called IES Abroad on a seven-week study abroad program that took my class through Paris, Rome and Madrid to study art history and museum studies.  The program was absolutely fantastic and by far one of my favorite experiences in college.  It was hard to not be fascinated by the history and culture when class was being held in local museums and monuments, and the professors were outstanding (one even won the IES International Teacher of the Year award for 2015).  In seven weeks I made my way to five different countries and learned both inside the classroom and about myself.  I have become significantly more confident and independent as a result of my time abroad (& the adventures I took solo).  Not to mention, the academics paid off when I was able to take less classes the spring of senior year because my credits transferred.

Bing. Bang. Boom.  Three incredible summers, three incredible stories.  Each of these summers gave me tools that I plan to bring with me to my new life in DC and post-graduate adventures.  Hopefully your summers will do the same for you!