What a whirlwind first four days!

In keeping with requirements set forth by both the Kennedy Center Vilar Institute and American University's Internship class, I will be keeping a journal (or, blog) to document my work in this endeavor. The technique I will be using is "The Critical Incident Technique," as well as commenting on newspaper articles from both The New York Times and The Washington Post that have relevance to the work I am doing.

On my first day, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, mainly because of the size of the facility, as well as the size of the group of new interns. At the orientation, I realized the amount of work I will be responsible for. I am one of the only individuals still in undergraduate school, which was kind of intimidating. I met my boss, Kara Barnes, who seems like a very knowledgeable manager.

My first "critical incident" occurred at the intern bus tour of the city, which occurred on Thursday, September 9th at 5:30pm. I define the event as critical, for me, because I felt particularly out of place with the other interns. I know that the event was supposed to "foster relationships," yet I couldn't quite connect with the others. With any new situation, it is difficult to just dive right in and feel comfortable. I feel comfortable with the DC area, and all the new interns are just getting acclimated to it now. Sitting alone in that bus was difficult, but I just sat there and soaked in what they are interested in, trying to comment on pieces of information I knew. I am slowly but surely meeting each person and making a personal connection to them. I feel a bit younger than everyone else, which only makes the situation a little worse for me. In terms of actions to take, I will continue to make connections with interns I have not met, and make myself more comfortable with them.

My second" critical incident" is when I was given my research and project folder by Liana, the assistant in the Major Gifts Department. I was excited to get started on what I love to do, which is research. I am learning a lot about resources, and different sources to go to for varied pieces of information. The volumes of books on the wall, and the many internet search engines are a source of much information. I love putting together the pieces of the puzzle, and find little "tidbits" to put on the briefing. I try to keep up with the daily news, since my co-workers will send articles attached to emails, expecting us to have read up! I love that everyone here is so on top of everything, and knows what they are doing. It gives me a great sense of security. I am excited about getting more into my research projects, and creating a real briefing.

When I was reading the Washington Post on Thursday, Sept. 9th, I noticed an article discussing the Signature Theatre and their new theatre project, costing $12.5 million dollars. Two of the donors listed in the article are also major donors at the Kennedy Center. My boss, Kara, sent the article out to Liana, Clarence, Holly, and myself, so we could make photocopies of the article and put it in the donors files. I thought the turnaround time was incredible, and the department was so on top of everything.

I consider myself so lucky to be here with these dedicated and hard-working professionals. Hopefully I will walk away from this experience a more determined worker, and a harder working student and colleague.