First I researched a lot of different places to go, because I wanted to go out of state to experience the world, out of this small town. I wanted to interact with animals and plus animals are better than most people (just admit it). Working with animals is a very big passion for me. I started to look at different places that had animals. I finally narrowed it down to a couple of choices and that were in Colorado, Florida, and Arkansas. The first place I tried to get into is the Big Cats sanctuary in Denver, Colorado. The place in Florida was just an idea that I wasn't too serious about. I never contacted them, because I didn’t have any close family that lived in that area, so I wouldn't be able to afford staying there for three weeks. The last place was a small humane society in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This was the place I chose to go to because my grandma lives there and I would have a place to stay for the three weeks. It housed only dogs and cats which I am familiar and comfortable with. I confirmed my internship there and now I am super excited to be traveling to Arkansas.
Challenges:
How many people did you contact?
How many times did you hear no?
I struggled with having a one set mind and I really wanted to work with large cats. I contacted a lady from Denver, Colorado and I really hoped I would be able to get accepted there. The only problem was I am not 18 years old yet, and there are liabilities. I could have gone but the only job I would be doing there is learning about the animals and I wanted to be more hands on with the animals. Because of that, I made the decision to turn them down which was awful, but I knew I wanted to work more with the animals than I would be. I heard “no” only once but it lead me to a place where I can be working with the animals.
Explain why you choose this particular opportunity:
I chose to work at the Garland Humane Society because I have always wanted to leave and be on my own and live without my parents for a while. I really love animals and think they are such amazing creatures. I want to do something with animals in my career path because I think all types of animals are nice in their own ways. I like the idea of interacting with people who are interested in the same things I am while also feeling like I am making a difference in the world.
What you hope to gain from the experience?:
I hope to see if this is the best career path for me to pursue. I would like to learn a lot more about how the animals interact with one another and people, to learn about their health, what they should be eating, etc.
What you hope to bring to the business?:
I hope to make the work environment more of a cool place, to bring in more customers and visitors, and make the animals know they are loved. I want to create a place where people can just feel comfortable and want to adopt the animals.
What mark will you leave at your internship?:
I will leave a mark that is amazing because I am going to do as much as I can to help this business succeed. I will bring happiness and joy to all the people around me and the animals.
LINK Reflection
Discuss skills and abilities coming into LINK that were most useful (with specific example) When I first went into my internship, the skills I would say were most useful were collaboration, and public speaking. I was working with people who had different skill sets and experiencing working with them. Going to an unfamiliar town and working in a place where the employees already had a solid relationship, I was fearful of making a good impression. I used my public speaking skills to open up and try something new. With this, I ended up creating great relationships with all my coworkers.
Discuss most important skills developed during LINK (with specific example) The most important skills that I gained during LINK were how to deal with hard situations, and to be more calm and relaxed at times. Having to know how to clean all the cages for the cats and the dogs out was stressful because it had to be a certain way. But I caught on really fast and ended up moving past that hard situation. Also having to learn which medicines go to which dogs and learning all their health problems that they have and making sure they are being well cared for.
Share how you grew through shortcomings or challenges encountered during LINK One of the hardest challenges I came across was cleaning out litter boxes like dumping out the litter and putting it in the trash bag. I know this doesn't sound like a big challenge but when I was cleaning them out and dumping the litter in the bag, it spilled all over me and everywhere else. But my manager was really nice and he helped me clean it all up. I also had a hard time letting go of some of the pets that I helped socialize. I knew that I was helping them prepare for a forever home but I wish that my home was their forever home.
Argue for your importance within the organization and make a case for the mentor to accept high school interns in the future If you have a passion for animals then this is the place to go. The people are very warm and welcoming and they always have a smile on their faces. Experiencing the the way I could be interactive with the animals was breathtaking. I loved how I was treated as a part of the team and not some intern that they get to do the boring jobs. There are many opportunities within the Garland Humane Society to learn about animals and the different types of treatment and getting socialized with the animals.
Describe how the internship experience has helped you plan for next steps for college and/or career readiness My internship experience has helped me solidify my plans for college by confirming that this is what I want to study. I would like to become an animal socialist. The career path is what I love to do and involves interacting with animals.