The Start of a Virtual Storybook
Hello friend! I don’t know how you found your way to my blog— maybe you have an interest in London, maybe you think Human Services is the major for you, or maybe you’re just obsessed with Northeastern’s Dialogues. Whatever it may be, and they’re all great reasons, I hope you enjoy this virtual storybook of mine. Not to be a cliché, but I’m pretty sure that I’m about to have a life changing experience and I am excited to have the opportunity to document it.
The reason I chose to partake in the United Kingdom: London, Nonprofits and Social Change Dialogue is pretty brilliant so listen up! As a rising sophomore, I will be interviewing for my first Co-op shortly and I will be expected to show real employers a real resume for a real job. Terrifying. However, my dialogue set me up with an internship this summer! Resume: check. Is this adulting? I have to wear business causal clothes. I think that definitely means I’m officially a grown up. I am going to be interning part time at the National Union of Students in London, working on a report of the nonprofit’s Green Impact Campaign. I will get to interview all sorts of organizations around London and employees of NUS about Green Impact, as well as shadow different employees at NUS, participate in events and functions, and gain tons of professional experience! That sounds amazing, and it is, but I have an ulterior motive: I was placed with an internship by my dialogue coordinator. I didn’t have to partake in the mad dash for internships that goes on every spring semester. I just hung back and chose my pick from a list of really fantastic partners. And if that wasn’t enough, I get to go to London to do it, with one of my favorite professors, take courses that count directly toward my major, and get to know the close knit community that is the human services majors. Basically, I am doing a year’s worth of productive stuff in a month (slight exaggeration, maybe).
Not only will this summer be my first time working in an office, it will also be my first time abroad for any length of time. Thinking I was completely proficient in adulting after my first year at college, I also took it upon myself to plan a two week trip after my dialogue. I will be visiting friends and family in France and Ireland in the last weeks of June. Let me tell you, planning a (semi) solo trip is so much harder than your parents ever let on when they were so lovingly planning to cart you around Disney for spring break in elementary school. It is stressful, and hectic, and straight up daunting.
On the other hand, I know that after all the planning and stressing, my dialogue is going to be an amazing experience and I cannot express how grateful I am to be given this opportunity by Northeastern. And I say Northeastern for a reason; Our school matches financial aid for Dialogues and makes grants and scholarships available to those who pursue them. Going abroad is surprisingly affordable so don’t let that be a reason you don’t apply! Sorry, that got really advertisie, but it comes from the bottom of my heart. Anyhoo, I can’t wait to explore London (and France and Ireland) and I look forward to blogging all about this crazy journey. Up next: Jess actually goes to London and writes about it. Ahhh!!!!
