Anybody's first experience in the workplace can be very scary. For one, you are entering a foreign environment, one that is asking you to put all your prior education to use. You worry about having the necessary skills to succeed and make a positive impression. Not to mention the added stresses of navigating the tubes to work, all within a new city. 

For me, I had never set foot in a professional office before as a worker. I had just decided on a potential career path when the opportunity arose to join Absolute Internship. So I was even more nervous and uncertain than normal because I was not only vetting the office personnel and atmosphere, but I was also personally tasking myself with gauging the nonprofit industry to see if it is indeed a field I am interested in entering.

On my first day, my boss Fran enthusiastically met me in the lobby. She was so friendly and willing to share with me all the ins-and-outs of the nonprofit. From day one Fran and all the other employees made me feel welcomed and offered to answer all of my potential questions about the industry. All my worries had dissipated within an hour.

Now a solid four weeks into the internship, I have a schedule and set of projects that were given to me by the Fundraising team. My daily tasks include, but are not limited to, updated donor information in the company's database, conducting research on legacy donations, and helping with appeals and newsletters. My jobs are so diverse that I never get bored, for I feel that I am truly learning vital information about the ways in which non-profit organizations raise funds to help those in the community.

Though I have not ultimately decided if the nonprofit sector is one I intend to enter post-graduation, I have already learned incredibly important facts about both the company, the industry, and about myself and what I want for my future career. What I know for sure is that I am so glad I took the opportunity to apply for this summer internship because it is truly opening my eyes to various paths I can take in my career.

- Katrina Parnham. Alumni Intern 2018