Week 8.25.14

     This week I read an article called Growing Leaders, from Tim Elmore's blog. It was about how an internship should not be seen as simply an "internship" by the student. It should be considered a 12-week interview, meaning everyday the intern should be just as attentive and productive as the first. It gave an example of a man who regretted ever allowing interns to work at his business for a summer. The article also give advice to interns, like me, about how my boss and I can both have a successful and beneficial experience, discussing teachability, initiative, responsibility, and energy.

     After reading the article I've obviously learned that I need to treat my internship as, for me, a 9 month interview, never getting lazy. This is a huge oppurtunity that I've been given, and Lakewood honestly doesn't need me, so I have to continually work hard and learn as much as I can every day. While I said that the church doesn't necessarily need me, I could still make my bosses jobs easier everyday, and that is one of my goals for the year. I will focus on being teachable and responsible everyday, so that my boss looks forward to my arrival, rather than dreads it. I want to learn as much as I can this year while helping Lakewood, and the characteristics this article gave me are great ways to accomplish that.

     Overall, this year I'm going to focus on being a hard worker and very teachable in order to learn more about what I love and make my bosses lives easier. My goal is to be a huge help to Lakewood Baptist Church while learning about how it runs and how the student ministry works. In order to do this I will use what I learned in this article like how my internship is a 9 month interview, not an "internship".

Week 8.18.14

*SLO HMP 2*

After reading the article, “Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op,” I’ve learned a lot about what kind of attitude I should have as an intern, and how my actions reflect myself and the Honors Mentorship program. The article talks about how interns, who are usually the youngest at the business, are appreciated because of their youthful energy and interest. It also discusses some things interns should do, and others that they shouldn’t do. Things like immersing oneself in the history/current state of the business, always being positive, and working hard are some “dos” for interns. On the other hand, some “don’ts” are talking too much when one should be listening, associating oneself with the lazy workers, and showing up late for work.

I have gone to my internship once thus far, and I am ready to use more of the qualities this article discussed the next time I’m at work. I am going to really focus on having a good attitude, and honestly being interested in the work I’m given. Sometimes I find myself zoning out when working, but I think if I focus more on what I’m doing I will become more interested. I am excited to continue going to my internship and learning about how a church runs, while using the qualities this article has provided me.

Week 8.11.14

*SLO HMP 1*

     This year I'm going to be interning with a church in the community, my mentor being the Girls Minister. After reading "Getting to Know Your Mentor" and listening to the "First Impressions" podcast, I've come up with a few things I'm going to work on when I start my mentorship this week and for the rest of the year. I'm going to make sure I always make steady eye contact when speaker with not just my mentor, but also other workers at the church. Something else I took away from the podcast was that you should talk 20% of the time and listen 80% of the time. I think this is a really good tip because it will show my mentor that I'm ready to learn and work. 

     This year I think I'll really learn how a church functions, and how specifically the student ministry in the church works. I look forward to working with my mentor in girls ministry and learning about all the responsibilities that come along with being a girls minister. I plan to really be open to new experiences and lessons that my mentor may have to teach me. Working with my mentor will help me determine for sure whether I would like to go into some type of ministry as a career.