the golden ticket

by Marina Budimir, '03
Lincoln High School (referred to Summer Search by Florence O'Malley)
Interlochen Center for the Arts, Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Programs,
UC San Diego

A Summer Search alumna and first generation college graduate figures out her next step with the help of an internship at YouthNoise

My B.A. in International Studies from UC San Diego is a pretty big deal – I’m the first one in my family to go to college. Still, I knew that a diploma on its own wouldn’t be the golden ticket to the career of my choice. So I asked Summer Search for help and found out about their internship program. Upon reviewing dozens of internships exclusively available to Summer Search students and alumni, I applied for a business development internship with YouthNoise. Three weeks later I had an interview and shortly thereafter I was pronounced the new Business Development Intern.

When I started, YouthNoise had just launched a new campaign around using sport for social good. I plunged into deadline pandemonium and at first was disenchanted with research work. I was at the bottom of the food chain and all the tasks that no one else wanted to do trickled down to me. But I was not feeling discouraged, I viewed mundane tasks as stepping stones to greater responsibility. Sure enough, after some time of researching and compiling databases, I started working on letters and presentations. Then I had a chance to travel to Seattle, Washington, for a weekend and help facilitate a YN Youth Summit.  At the following summit in Tucson, Arizona, I was asked to present a workshop. Finally, I ended up co-presenting a media workshop titled “Making Your Voice Heard” at Summer Search Alumni Summit about two months ago! Public speaking was, up until that moment, my biggest nightmare. I would have rather eaten sand than have to speak in public! Much to my surprise, I enjoyed speaking in front of an audience, it gave me such an adrenaline rush that I want to do it again. More importantly, I was able to evaluate my skills as a young professional and realize that I am on the right track of becoming an effective communicator.

 My internship with YouthNoise was supposed to be in business development, but by making myself available and volunteering to help out with other tasks, I was able to gain additional experience in grant research, outreach, web design, and partnership-building. I was able to work with people in various fields and explore different career paths, and I learned how to make presentations, develop workshops, communicate in a professional manner, and speak in public without (too much) fear. 

So, while there is no such thing as a golden ticket, I feel more empowered after this experience to seek and find full time employment, knowing that I can offer great things. I have also made a dozen solid new contacts and most importantly, I can rest assured that my supervisor will give me a great recommendation. For years I have been trying to figure out what I would like to do professionally, and through this internship, it has finally dawned upon me that I am very efficient, organized, innovative, hardworking, and smart. I have also found out that my potential is far greater than what I had limited myself to previously. I have decided to continue my education and apply for graduate school. I am currently exploring programs, weighing options and starting to study for the GRE. And while the future still seems murky, I have at last found a pond I feel happy in, and now I am just waiting for the details to settle.