Internship Memories

Korrin B.

September 5, 2010 - 11:00 PM

Just the other day, I got a very exciting email. The email was from The Carter Center and contained two much anticipated photos. As I looked at the photo of me standing with President and Mrs. Carter and then looked at the one of my intern class standing with the Carters, I reflected upon a summer full of unforgettable experiences. I think that sometimes the looking back on an adventure can be one of the most important parts of the journey overall. Sometimes you can't appreciate things as much until you are out of the environment looking at it from another angle.

I am grateful for several things from my internship experience this summer. One is definitely the chance to work for such an organization. It is dawning on me more now that I am away from Atlanta how neat it really was to be a part of The Carter Center's work. By next year, thanks to the work of The Carter Center, Guinea Worm is set to be the second disease ever eradicated from our planet. Throughout the year, elections around the world are being observed by The Carter Center. The Center is filled with educated, strong, dedicated people who really care about the work that they are doing. I was one of the few chosen this summer to be a part of this work as well. I can say that I worked for a former president's NGO that helps to alleviate human suffering worldwide everyday. Wow. Plus, I actually got the chance to meet President and Mrs. Carter themselves! It is truly incredible to realize now the impact of what I did this summer.

I am further grateful for the friends that I made during my summer in Atlanta. It isn't always easy to meet people whom you can truly connect with. I definitely met a few gems this summer and we have been keeping in great touch since I left. I am so excited to see what all of them do and where all of them go in the next couple of years. I am so excited for all of them and so happy that our paths crossed and we get to be friends now for a very long time. Looking back on my summer now and remembering all of the fun memories I now share with my intern friends makes me realize even more how special that experience was. I can be even more appreciative of it now that I can look back on it and reflect.

My internship this summer with The Carter Center surely changed my life and I see that looking back at these two photos that I will be able to cherish forever. I highly recommend students take advantage of these types of competitive summer internships. They truly teach a student more than could be imagined.