From the beginning of the internship, I definitely can say that I have considered my supervisor to be a role model because of her role and everything that led her to where she is today. The company is barely two years old and she founded it and continues to do her very best, day and night, to continue building it and spreading the mission of bringing a community who appreciates wellness and lifestyle altogether. From day one we all witnessed the story and the business’s mission, and she mentions spending time on it almost every single day of the week. Owning a business is not easy, and the biggest issue is the finances, which is why I am glad that our internships with CUNY Spring Forward is being funded by the Research Foundation, so we aren’t taking away from the small businesses and leaving an important impact to help them to the next stage. Even though we are all interns, of course, our small contributions will make a long-lasting impact that I hope can bring more business and positivity to h+f.
I actually did not exactly understand or look into mentorship until now, in my final, senior year of college. While I did have my sister, brother-in-law, and mother who are all educators / work in education, I never approached a mentor who would be impartial to any family-related dynamics and I could ask for advice. Since I did not know that they existed until my final year, I wonder how the system could be changed to improve mentorship for students like me who slipped through the cracks. I understand that we have advisors, but when I transferred here I was not assigned one until end of junior year, whom I never fully communicated with either. I think if students in college could have accessible mentors, it would sharply improve the outcomes of graduation and continuing education into grad school and beyond.
In the workplace, also having a sort of role model or mentor from someone in a higher position could be really useful because they have spent so many years working in their position and learning, so it can assist you in your journey whether you choose to follow in their position or otherwise. Even if I don’t work at this business beyond the internship deadlines, I am happy to say that I can apply everything that the supervisor has shown me, and that learning experience can be applied to so many business opportunities in the future, even if I choose to start my own business up as well. Networking in general is such an important aspect of the working world, and new doors often can open up when you make the right connections.
