In my life, I have always been interested in people. To my parents, this was not necessarily a good thing, as I struck up conversations with complete strangers, a bit too fascinated by the world. You could call it headstrong, extroverted, or just plain dumb, but I look back and remember how curious I was: completely enthralled in the lives of others. I wanted to know life stories, hobbies and passions, what made people happy or sad. I tried to connect to people in a moment and absorb everything about them before I left. Even as a child, I found real people, everyday neighbors and travelers to be as entrancing as fairytales.
One of my earliest memories was striking up a conversation with two older ladies while on a plane to Costa Rica. They owned a small business of knitted stuffed animals, and after espousing my love for “The Little Mermaid,” they sent a toy to my doorstep. A knitted mermaid with a pink and green tail wearing pigtails. To this day, I still own that memento, and I keep it to remind myself of that connection you can find with a stranger. The mermaid has discolored with age, her stuffing has gone flat, and her tail has a few stubborn stains. Still, I have kept that lesson close to me.
Once reaching high school and leaving behind quarantine, I joined every club I could. I wanted to see people; I wanted to talk and tap into the kindship of life. Academic Decathlon, mock trial, tennis, chess, chemistry, and art clubs took up most of my after-school time. There were so many opportunities to experience that it was like falling into Wonderland.
That’s how it feels to be working at Rhode Island PBS, even for the short time of a month and a half. Everyone says time flies when you’re having fun, and I feel like I’m still walking into my first day of work, shaking with anticipation. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities and experience Prepare RI has set me up with. I remember the day my close friend told me about this opportunity. She was waxing poetic about the friends she’d made, the mentors she kept in contact with, and the overall joyful experience. What it taught her about the world and about herself. To be honest, my main motivation to apply was a yearning to understand myself as well. I suppose that while completely caught up with glittering diamonds around me, I still felt like a lump of coal.
Of course, being a self-proclaimed people expert, I knew that wasn’t true. Everyone has their story, goals and ambitions that set them apart. That soulfulness is spellbinding. I just needed to find my spark.
I can confidently say that Rhode Island PBS has encouraged my growth as an intern and even more so as a person. The internship supervisors, Sarah and Faythann, have been supportive in whichever endeavor we as interns wish to pursue. As past interns themselves, they have been more uplifting and understanding than I ever could have expected.
I am especially appreciative of being placed in the Arts and Culture department. Tracy, who was my specific supervisor in this area, was extremely kind. During my first week, we had a meeting in which we sought to understand each other and my own goals. With this open conversation, she set me up with tasks that I would be interested in and wanted me to be involved in EFPs, or electronic field productions that were out of studio.
With her support, I was able to follow through with my first large task, which was to research and interview an artist. I was insecure yet as I researched the artist further my suspense grew. I saw a life story I wished to tap into, something that I have always been absorbed in. When the day came to enter a private studio and record the Q&A, I stuttered through a greeting and led her with shaky legs. She was patient, and even when I opened the wrong door while chatting, entering an edit bay instead of the studio, she laughed it off.
The outcome was outstanding and made my ribcage crackle and pop with a sudden blaze of exuberance. This is what I had been endeavoring to find.
This passionate inferno made its way into my everyday work. I have been so fortunate to experience this learning environment and undertake varied tasks. Working with the Audience Engagement department, I was able to learn how to edit reels for social media and that left me with the skills in Adobe Premiere, which will certainly be invaluable in my skill arsenal. I learned Canva and brushed up my skills in Adobe Photoshop during my off time. I was even encouraged to draw for the cover of an article, which made my face bloom in red and made me feel giddy all over.
While working with the Education department, I was included in events that genuinely impacted the community. Filling goodie bags and organizing books for kids, I helped behind the scenes. Later, I was included to help kids every week at a local library during Cyberchase: Green It Up events. These teach kids about the environment as well as media literacy. Two sessions ago, one of the girls drew a picture of my coworkers and I, declaring she loves the program. While writing this, I have that image hung up in my cubicle, forever in the corner of my vision. I look to it like a North Star in my work; a symbol of encouragement. This last session, the same kid measured our wrists for friendship bracelets.
Seeing my own influence on the Rhode Island PBS website as well as in children’s education brought forward that elusive spark. I have a clearer vision of my future in communications, and I know I could not have done it without the support of people around me. A special thanks to the other interns, Emily Halloran and Khadijah Hilmy, who helped me with anything and everything while still letting me talk their ears off.
If you happen to be reading this, I advise you to look at the people around you and appreciate their passion. I urge you to look for your own as well. Recognize what makes you your best self and strive for it. This is a call to action for everyone, no matter if you are just beginning your career, far into it, or have no interest in that aspect. One of the eternal truths of life is that there will always be more to learn; just be willing.
