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What it Means to be a WorldStrides Intern

By Jonathan Lingard

As I finished up my first day as a WorldStrides intern, one of our mentors, Molly Laycob, left me with some of the best advice anyone can receive on their first day. “No matter how old or experienced you may be, the first day is always stressful.” I have found this statement to be true with everything, from beginning a new school year, starting a new job or position, becoming involved in an activity, or simply trying something new. Doing anything for the first time can be difficult, and many people search for ways in which they can ease some of their fears and worries before the big moment. Hopefully, reading about the past experiences of others can help.

At the beginning of the internship, it was wonderful to hear introductions from both interns and mentors. Introductions are effective in creating a comfortable environment right from the start. The interns were also able to hear from CEO Bob Gogel and from Kellie Goldstein, who shared their warmest welcome and excitement for this new internship opportunity. In many professional situations, it can be easy to imagine in our minds ideals of perfection and immediate competency. Nobody expects us to be perfect, especially on the first day. It takes time to learn and adapt to a new environment, and it is important that we allow ourselves that time and patience when we fall short. I talked with a couple of interns after the conclusion of the orientation and heard some of their thoughts and feelings. Lynn D. Edwards expressed to me some of his feelings,  “I am so proud of myself and my peers for committing to this new opportunity. Working in a professional work sphere before I have even graduated is a huge milestone for me. I know that this internship will teach me a tremendous amount.” With the confidence to succeed, Lynn, along with many others, are excited for the learning opportunities that lay ahead.

The mission of WorldStrides is, “To create experiences that enable participants to view the world and themselves in new ways”. While listening to the various presentations of the orientation, I realized that through this internship I can develop my skills and my understanding of the world around me. “Education in all that we do” and sustainability through the “Choose Earth Program” are 2 examples of presentations throughout the orientation which helped interns to further understand the mission statement, core values, and current goals that all WorldStrides employees are working towards.

Throughout the day, many themes were brought to the forefront, with one being how to effectively utilize technology and social media. Especially in the last 2 years, technology has changed the way we see and interact in the workplace, and there are many opportunities for growth and adaptation of new ideas. With technology, interns and mentors were able to join from many different parts of the world. Josh Mason, a new intern for this upcoming summer, shared his impression of the first day orientation, “I am grateful to get the chance to complete an internship from a completely different country, what a cool opportunity. I am thankful for the flexibility that WorldStrides has given me so far.” Josh will be working on the internship from Colombia after the completion of his study abroad program.

After only the first day, I can say that I already feel so much more confident and ready to see what this upcoming internship has to offer. I am excited to contribute to the mission of WorldStrides as we help ourselves, our coworkers, and the learners we work with to see the world in new ways.