Concordia Celebrates National Intern Day
“You are not only an employee at Concordia, you are family.” – Caitlyn Halbert, Intern in 2017.
At Concordia, interns are a valued and important part of our community.
This National Intern Day, we’re celebrating some of the wonderful interns we’ve had throughout the years. Concordia’s internship program began in 2012, and our very first intern, Megan Carter, is now the Activities Director here at Concordia!
To celebrate our interns past and present, we got in touch with some of our previous interns to see what they are up to and how their time at Concordia has helped them in college and beyond.
Concordia interns are prepped for careers in teaching, campus recreation and more!
When we chatted with our previous interns, several noted the positive experience their time at Concordia had on their career, no matter where they ended up after their Internship!
For example, Greta Connelly, Intern 2018, is now the Coordinator of Campus Recreation at OSU-Center for Health Sciences. She said, “My internship helped me by teaching me how to design and implement different programs. Working at Concordia, it was very busy with planning events, which was a lot of fun. There was never a dull moment because as soon as one event ended, we were on to the next.” Because of all the planning and organization she used at Concordia, Greta developed skills she now uses in her current job as coordinator.
Intern alumni have found careers in a wide range of occupations – from athletic training to teaching and more. Almost all of our previous interns noted the impact working with seniors had on their lives.
“I don’t think I ever experienced one bad day as an intern working with senior adults, ” said Caitlyn Herbert, Intern 2017. “My time doing so changed my life for the better.”
Now, Caitlyn works as a first grade teacher in New Mexico and said that the fun activities and events helped prepare her for her future career in teaching!
Of course, Concordia residents can teach you a lot too.
Concordia residents are always sharing stories and life lessons that can make an impact on anyone who talks with them.
For example, one resident taught Karen Messal that instead of saying “hi, how are you,” just say “hi” unless you’re trying to open a conversation. “‘hi, how are you?’ can leave the other person feeling as though you’re insincere and that you don’t actually care how they are as you blow by, said Karen. “I remember really appreciating this friendly advice during my internship but also on campus and everyday life”
Chotsie Barnes also learned some valuable lessons: “talking with seniors about their lives can change your own priorities,” said Chotsie. “You begin to realize what is important in life.”
Since our interns got to talk to so many different residents, there’s an infinite amount to learn — even in a few moments.
And of course, all the fun at Concordia created some special memories!
Tesla Morris recalled visiting an Alpaca farm, which helped shift her perspective and encouraged her to have child-like fun. “It was a fun activity that got residents out of their homes,” said Tesla. “We even fed some of the Alpaca’s carrots from out of our mouths! Talk about an experience! “
And we’re always having fun at Concordia. Deion McKitrick remembers a Halloween murder mystery dinner. Megan Carter remembers creating “Concordia’s Got Talent,” a spin off “America’s Got Talent!”
Most importantly, our interns connected with the individuals at Concordia and made friends along the way.
“Who knows,” said Presley Hayes, current intern at Concordia, “you might just find yourself a really great friend. I definitely have found many at Concordia.”
Our interns keep on impressing us.
Carrying the skills, memories and life lessons learned at Concordia, our interns are making a difference in the world in many ways! We loved getting to see where they are now and how they’re taking their internships with them into the future.
“Working with senior adults is very fulfilling,” said Hallie Buhl, current Intern at Concordia. “Getting to know each of the residents and what makes them unique has been an amazing opportunity. They each hold a special place in my heart and their impact on my life will last forever.”
Cheers to our Concordia Interns! Keep doing big things!
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