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Steppingstone Scholars

Operations & Wellness Intern

June - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

Interning at Steppingstones was the most life thrilling experience I've ever had. Steppingstone is a summer learning academy for grades 6th-8th in the Philadelphia area. My job title allowed me to work on an administrative level, but also interact with the students. Although I wasn't in the classrooms with the student, I was behind the scene helping with organization, lesson plans, and other activities. During recess, I spent most of my time getting to know the students and their talents, their goals, and plans for the future. From being with the students I learned that a few groups of girls had really good talent in dancing. I advocated on their behalf and spoke with the director and together we create Steppingstone's first talent show. I facilitated auditions and practices and with the help of another colleague hosted the talent show. I learned a lot about myself, other organizations, the importance of networking, and other related skills in the short months I spent at Steppingstone. I truly look forward to being able to revisit for another summer at the academy.

What I wish was different

My only challenge was the commute to Steppingstones. This year was our first year is a beautiful Temple University building, however looking for a parking spot was extremely hard. If their was a event at the Liacouras Center, which their were a few, it took an additional 10 minutes to find a spot. However, the staff had a great communication system so if their was a event, accident or transportation issue we would be prepared to leave earlier.

Advice

Identify yourself and your role in an agency. I identified myself as a student intern. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because that’s when you learn lessons that will carry with you. A lot of the things I learned in my courses guided me through my internship. Once I was able to identify my role in the agency it was easy for me to communicate and network with other agencies. I also had the opportunity to do self-assignments and evaluations with the director that helped me learn what are my skills and what skills do I need to work on.
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Spanish Teacher

June - August 2018 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

It was great to get in-class teaching experience, and the students were very excited to learn.

What I wish was different

I wish the program had been a bit more organized.

Advice

Be confident and lesson plan!
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