Drew Mayerson STEP Post-Project Reflection Prompts

 

 

 

STEP Post-Project Reflection Prompts

As you may recall from your STEP Signature Project Proposal, your project was designed to foster transformational learning—that is, learning that challenged you personally and helped you gain broader and deeper understandings of yourself, others, and the world around you.  Please address the following prompts to help you reflect on your experiences following the completion of your STEP Signature Project; please give careful and critical thought to your responses.

  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

Hello, my name is Drew Mayerson. I am an incoming Junior at OSU studying Finance with a minor in Jewish Studies. This summer I interned in London, United Kingdom for 8 weeks. My internship was with a company called Newland Chase, an award-winning immigration consulting firm.

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

The largest change that I experienced was within myself. I have always lived in Columbus and have always been near my incredible support system. This summer, however, I was alone and had to navigate working 40 hours a week for the first time, managing my critical health condition (type one diabetes) in a foreign country, and planning and coordinating significant travel across the European continent, in addition to managing the anxiety I begun to feel during the school year. As you can imagine, this was incredibly challenging. Throughout the course of this summer, I have described this process as breaking me down and then building me back up. I experienced deep vulnerability and struggle, but found a way to overcome my difficulties and emerge more capable, confident, and self-reliant.

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

Above, in my answer to prompt three I discussed a breakdown of myself before a rebuild. I will discuss the areas in which I was challenged and how I responded to them. My first challenge was finding a way to work 40 hours per week in addition to coordinating all of the travel plans that I wanted to accomplish. Secondly, I had to manage my type one diabetes in a foreign country without traditional access to replacement equipment and with healthcare systems that I was unfamiliar and, frankly, relatively uncomfortable with. The final challenge that I had to overcome was dealing with the anxiety that I had felt begin to form throughout the duration of my second year at OSU.

In regard to my first challenge: finding a way to work 40 hours per week in addition to coordinating all of the travel plans that I wanted to accomplish, my relationship with my roommate was likely the most important relationship that I had. My roommate Jon and I had been friends before heading to London together but had not been all that close. Although we had our challenges acclimating to a life in which we spent 24 hours a day together in a very confined space, I can confidently say that we maximized our trip and met almost all of our traveling goals. While we did not love waking up for work each day, we motivated each other to stay disciplined in our internship.

Dealing with my health was very challenging. Having to manage my type one diabetes in a foreign country without traditional access to replacement equipment and with healthcare systems that I was unfamiliar and, frankly, relatively uncomfortable with proved to be significantly more challenging than I was expecting. Within my first 24 hours I began to be weary that I might be in for a hellish summer, diabetes wise. I managed to endure months of crazy blood glucose levels, countless equipment issues and logistical blunders, and keep myself out of the hospital. I spent a lot of time on the phone with my mother but it was clear to me that only I could keep myself safe. I buckled down, employed patience and strategy, and remained diligent in practice. The feeling of making it out of this situation safe has been euphoric.

As hard as it was to manage my diabetes, I found it even harder to deal with the anxiety that I had felt begin to form throughout the duration of my second year at OSU. This was especially challenging because I had never dealt with this before and did not have my traditional support system to rely on. After noticing this anxiety grow, culminating with my first anxiety attack, I decided that I wanted to see a therapist when I returned to Columbus. This was great but did not help me in the moment. I had begun researching meditation as a form of stress management months ago and decided to dive deeper into the world of mindfulness and meditation. I read books, listened to podcasts, and practiced using apps on my phone. I am proud to say that it has been incredibly beneficial for me and that I believe that, for the most part, I have cured my anxiety.

  1. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

 

This has been most impactful for me because it has taught me that there is no problem that I cannot solve. There were times where I was not sure how I was going to make it through this summer, but through trusting myself and my process I was able to overcome all of the obstacles in my path. I have never been more confident in myself. Academically, I believe that my meditation will help me to progress with my anxiety and remove that barrier for myself academically. Personally, I have learned a great deal about myself and the world and feel great about myself. Professionally, I have learned that being self-reliant is something that I want to pursue in the future, I do not want to be just a cog in a machine. We will see where that takes me.

August Knemeyer STEP Reflection

For my STEP signature project, I traveled to Sydney, Australia with other Ohio State students to complete a two month internship with the company Vertiv. Here I was challenged with forming new relationships, traveling in a place I have never been before, and showing I could live independently.

Over the course of my trip, I went through serious transformations in regards to self image, personal assumptions, and my overall view of the world. In terms of self image, I can now confidently say that I can be self sufficient and handle problems with my own ways of thinking. Being in Sydney for two months forced me to give up my immediate support system at home, including my parents and close friends. This allowed me to prove to myself that I can be independent and solve problems with any set of resources. In terms of assumptions, my thoughts changed from my major, computer information systems, being a very black and white set of jobs to being something I can make my own. My internship taught me just how fluid and open to my own interests my major actually is. Lastly, in terms of my view of the world, my thoughts changed from other continents working in a very similar manner as Americans to the work environment being almost completely different wherever I go.

Through my global internship experience, there were a series of events, interactions, relationships and activities that led to the changes described in the previous paragraph. What led to my self image transformation was an event that happened on the very first day in Sydney. Me and a group of my fellow OSU students went to shop for groceries for our apartment in downtown Sydney. During this trip, I got separated from the group, and had no idea where I was going. My phone did not have any service, so I had to rely on my social skills to find my way home. Through a series of conversations with local shop owners, I was eventually able to find my way home. Additionally, over my trip, I was able to build a new personal support system for myself by forming friendships and working partnerships with those around me. This has raised my confidence and my outgoingness dramatically.

What led to my assumptions of my major changing was multiple interactions with both my coworkers and fellow students. Through interactions with coworkers, I was able to learn about the various career paths people have taken, despite studying similar topics as me. I learned that no matter where you start, there is always many routes to your final destination. The most important thing is to find what I am passionate about and continue from there. I will face setbacks and hold jobs I will not enjoy, but this is all a part of the process. Through interactions with fellow students, I was able to compare my job to theirs and see the many similarities and differences in each role. This further helped me to determine where I want to go as I move forward in my professional career.

What led to my views of the world transforming were also a series of events inside my workplace. Most places in America, work is the priority and the time spent outside of work should be used to prepare for your next work day. In Australia however, work and social life are balanced, and neither should be prioritized. I learned this through lunches out with my coworkers and conversations I had about personal lives. I came to appreciate this way of life, and now know that this is something I value when choosing my first full time job. Often people get too caught up in their work and forget how valuable handling stress and having fun is to overall well being. I now know that at times I must step back and see life’s bigger picture.

Overall, this transformation is extremely significant to my life. I am now entering my second year of being a business student, and now more than ever I feel as though I have the tools to succeed moving forward. I am more independent than I have ever been, more confident in myself than I have ever been, and eager to see what is next on my path. Not only that, I feel as though this transformation has given me a much more clear vision if my path the next couple of years, which is something I have been lacking recently. I have a new and improved professional skillset relating to my major and have sharpened my social skills in the process as well. More important than anything, I have an experience that I will never forget and that will shape my life for the foreseeable future.

 

A Summer Interning in Madrid- STEP Reflection

This summer I interned abroad in Madrid, Spain in the marketing department for a small startup called Clever Ecommerce which created an app that helps create individualized and automated Google Ads campaigns for their clients. I worked around 35 hours a week for eight weeks learning about Google Ads and inbound marketing, working on client acquisition through communities and forums, and creating and implementing a new social media strategy. I also had a chance to improve my Spanish skills by not only interacting with the community of Madrid/Spain but also working closely with so many people who speak Spanish at the office and by helping them with content creation/review and translation.

Here’s a picture of me at my office!

There were two main transformations that I saw in myself this summer, both equally as important. First off, I learned more about what I want in my future career and what I don’t want. This was my first time doing any internship/job related to the field of marketing and I was excited to see whether this was a path that I want to pursue in my major and future. However, I learned that marketing isn’t exactly the path that I want to follow. I enjoyed my time immensely at Clever Ecommerce and I learned so much about the field of marketing such as inbound marketing, digital marketing, and Google Analytics. All of these are skills that, without a doubt, will be invaluable in any major or career that I choose because they are universally applicable and marketing is important in any business. This summer has been so influential on my desires for my future and I am really excited to pursue different aspects of business to see where I find my passion.

The second transformation I have seen is my increased confidence in myself. I have been abroad before, travelled before, interned before, and worked full time before. However, there is something inherently different in interning and working in a different country, and travelling and going abroad with no one that you know well. I never would expect myself at the age of 19 to be entirely comfortable travelling the world by myself or would have never expected how independent and confident this summer has made me, but I am eternally grateful that the Summer Global Internship Program has given me the chance to embark on so thrilling of a journey.

I realized this summer that marketing is not something that I can see myself doing in my future. It is not because I hate the field of marketing or hated my internship though. Instead, I found that the account management sector at Clever Ecommerce was far more interesting to me and my boss even let me shadow some of the account managers to learn more about what they do and how they are successful. I realized this summer that I really like the actions of maintaining client relationships and improving client experiences more than client acquisition after spending so much time doing inbound marketing. I am hoping that through more business core classes and another internship that I will narrow down my hopes for my future career even more.

This summer, my confidence in myself has increased immensely. I learned how to properly navigate public transportation, not only in Madrid but in other parts of Spain and Europe, something that Columbus doesn’t exactly excel at. I flew around the world on flights by myself, had to navigate exchanging currency, finding my way to work in a foreign city, and learned new skills at work from someone who didn’t speak much English. Some of these experiences were stressful, some were exciting, but most importantly all of them enabled me to learn and grow.

When it comes to my Spanish skills, I learned how to put myself out there and make friends with people that don’t speak English and in turn I gained valuable relationships and practice with my Spanish. As a Spanish major, one of my biggest goals for this summer was to grow my confidence in my Spanish and improve my speaking skills. I can say with sincerity that I have achieved my goal. Working in an office in Madrid gave me a safe place to practice my Spanish without judgement with friends and ask questions when I was unsure. It was difficult at first to get past all the lingo that Spainards use in their daily dialogue because they don’t teach you that in Spanish class. However, I have little doubt in my skills to properly communicate to others in Spanish after this summer and I am so proud of myself for that.

While I have a broad idea of what I want to do with the future, I still am not set on what exactly my plans for a career are. I’ve known for awhile that I want to do something in business but I don’t know what sector exactly to follow. However, not only has this summer shown me that marketing isn’t in my plans but that something more client management oriented is, it has also shown me to not plan so much at all. I often feel stressed about not knowing exactly what my major is, but in the long run, I know that I will end up doing something I love even if I don’t know it yet. That’s because even though I was a marketing intern this summer, when I told my boss that I would prefer to do account management he allowed me to learn more about their jobs and shadow them. That’s the most valuable skill that I learned this summer. I learned to speak up and have confidence in my abilities. If I am not happy in a job somewhere in the future, I know that I will have the courage to do something about it. Like I elaborated on before, my self-confidence was something that I was hoping to improve on with my Spanish skills, but it was not something I was expecting to increase in a personal aspect. Navigating working and travelling abroad this summer has given me an independent self-confidence that I have no doubt will help me in building a future for myself that I love, even if I don’t quite know what that future career is yet.

You can read more about my experience on Spain on the My Fisher Internship blog that I wrote for this summer as well!
https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/ug-career-mgmt/

STEP Reflection – Madrid Internship

  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

This summer, I completed an internship in Madrid, Spain through Fisher’s Office of Global Business. I completed a marketing internship at Caler, a real estate asset advisory firm. My specific tasks include preparing and editing press releases, translating and editing financial reports, and conducting market research on the Spanish and Portuguese hotel markets.

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

After this experience, I have realized that I am much more independent than I first assumed. Unfortunately, I had to start my internship 2 weeks later than the program start date because I contracted strep throat and mono a few weeks before I was supposed to leave. Due to this, I had to travel to Spain, find my apartment, move-in, and purchase my Metro card all by myself (all on the first day). I am the type of person whose first instinct is to ask for help rather than rely on myself and I am proud that I was able to accomplish so much on my own. Additionally, the hours of my internship were shorter than those of my friends, and I was able to leave work hours before they left their jobs. Instead of going back to my apartment, most days I would explore the city by myself. This experience proved that I am independent enough to traverse a foreign city comfortably and easily.

Additionally, I assumed that I would never feel entirely comfortable while in Madrid. Although I would be there for 6 weeks, I thought that I would still feel like I was in a foreign city the entire time. However, I was very mistaken. I quickly adapted to the city and truly felt like a local by the end of my time there. It was very comforting to know that it’s possible to find a home away from home, even on another continent.

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

The biggest transformation that I experienced was my perception of Madrid. My view of the city quickly changed from being a place that I was visiting to a place where I was living. There were many events, interactions, and relationships that led to this change.

First and foremost, the main thing that led to this transformation were the many relationships I built during my experience. Two of my three roommates were random, but we quickly became best friends. They made our tiny apartment truly feel like a home, and I knew that if I had a hard day at work, they would be there with open arms. Luckily, however, I did not have many hard days at work due to my relationship with my bosses. They were incredibly compassionate and patient and made me feel valued every single day.

Beyond the personal relationships I made, the general interactions I had with Madrileños made the city feel like home. Every store I entered, restaurant I dined in, and most people I passed while on my way to work greeted me with a smile and a happy “hola.” These small encounters made me feel comfortable in a foreign city.

  1. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

Although I was born and raised in Columbus, and I now go to college in Columbus, there is still a possibility that I may not live in Columbus in the future. This experience has shown me that I am able to find a home away from home. I was able to find a home 4,000 miles away, and now I find myself searching for summer internships all over the country because distance doesn’t have to be associated with discomfort. And most importantly, I know that I can step out of my comfort zone – whether it is in a personal or professional setting, I know that I can challenge myself and push myself to try new things.

Finance Internship in Portugal

I spent 2 months during the summer of 2019 doing something I never could have imagined before becoming a Buckeye, an internship abroad in Lisbon, Portugal. Living and working abroad with my fellow Buckeyes was an amazing experience as we immersed ourselves in Portuguese culture. The excellent food, wonderful nightlife, amazing sites and friendly people made Portugal an excellent place to spend the summer and learn about a culture, and more importantly ourselves.

Although going abroad for the first time was an amazing experience, the main focus of this STEP Project was my internship. I worked as a Finance Intern for a pharmaceutical company in Lisbon called Neutroplast. While at this company, I assisted the CFO in his daily and monthly tasks like financial reporting for upper management and creditors of the company. This was great experience for me as a finance major as I worked on a daily basis with financial data and analysis that will benefit me as I go forward. Of course, working in foreign doesn’t come without some obstacles. Despite most all of Portugal speaking excellent English, my financial statements and reports were often in Portuguese. This forced me to adjust to a whole group of people, and ultimately forced me to be adaptable in a way I’ve never had to before. Going forward, I’ll always be able to tackle difficult situations like this by approaching it with an open-mind and strong work-ethic.

While abroad, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel around to a few different places in Europe and within Portugal. Included in those destinations were Madrid, Paris, Porto and Lagos. The one thing all of these destinations had in common was they all had an entirely different reception of American tourists! In Paris, people were often rude and dismissive of us ‘clueless’ Americans, whereas in Porto, the glowing wine country in the north of Portugal, locals asked countless questions about our lives and culture. I would recommend weekend adventures like this to anyone going abroad.  Staying in hostels with people from all over the world is such an amazing way to learn about different cultures and perspectives. Reflecting on the charming receptions in Portugal and the less kind people from France, I realized that there’s no sense passing judgement because those different mindsets are what truly makes those cultures unique. Get off the beaten path of tourist attractions and take time to meet the people, because they’re truly what makes their countries special.

While in Lisbon, we had a guide who was from Portugal named Paulo. He assisted us in getting acclimated to the city with basic things like metro passes and getting to and from work. However, he helped us learn so much about his country. Paulo took us to the lovely Pena Palace in Sintra, about an hour from Lisbon. We learned so much about the history of the country while appreciating the beauty of the colorful castle and national park overlook the sea and western most point of Europe. On the last night of our trip, Paulo took us to dinner with his family and made sure we tried every last bit of Portuguese cuisine we may have missed during the trip. Wonderful seafood dishes, delicious thin steaks, and delicious wines highlighted some of the specialities that Portuguese people pride their country for. Having the opportunity to meet with his family and learn from people our age was a greatly valuable experience and has taught me to always seek to learn about other cultures, especially the food!

My favorite weekend excursion while on this trip was to Lagos, in the south of Portugal. This region, known as the Algarve, is famous for their beautiful beaches with stunning views of caves and rock formations. I went on a kayak tour of the caves and marveled at the natural beauty of the Algarve. So often, people want to see the marque European destinations such as London and Paris, but people so often forget to take time to admire the natural landscapes offered around the world.  After this experience, I’m going to ensure that whenever I travel I stay conscious of the natural beauty of these locations and spend time admiring them. This was my favorite part of the trip because we also met people from so many other countries who were also visiting Lagos to see the wonderful beaches Portugal offers.

This experience in Portugal is one I will never forget and other reason I’m thankful to be a Buckeye. This experience allowed me to grow professionally , establish cultural connections abroad, and learn more about myself. Employers greatly value international experience and the SGIP has certainly given me a leg-up on others while applying for future internships and jobs. I look forward to sharing my experiences with fellow Buckeyes and encourage them to go abroad and learn about other cultures.I feel this experience has given me new perspectives on personal relationships that will apply to my future career outside of Fisher College of Business. This experience fostered a love of traveling and I encourage all students at Ohio State to have a culturally enriching international experience.

By Reed Flynt – 7/25/19

STEP Reflection

  1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

 

I did an 8-week internship at Lockheed Martin at their corporate headquarters and Center for Leadership Excellence. I worked under the Workforce Solutions and Intelligence department in HR with the Leadership Development and Organizational Effectiveness team. I worked on the ideation and execution of programs for high-performing high-potential employees at different levels of leadership and management.

 

  1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.

 

I learnt a lot through this internship, not just in terms of professional skill and technique but also a lot about myself. I was able to live alone, and I learned a lot about independence. I realized all it takes to run a house alone for 2 months, which is an experience I had never had before. Living independently also gave me a lot of confidence which allowed me to think about my future in a very productive and ambitious way. Working in an extremely nutritive environment gave me a lot of clarity on my academic and professional goals. I learn about time management, taking initiative, thinking outside of the box, working on teams, delivering results and so on.

 

I worked with a phenomenal team that also taught me a tremendous amount about life. Every one of them inspired me uniquely and brilliantly and got my mental gears running. I also transformed psychologically, gained a higher sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy.

 

Overall, it was truly an unforgettable experience that has been extremely nutritive to an overall holistic growth.

 

  1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.

 

From the moment I stepped into my workplace, I had a sense of family and belonging. They welcomed me in a fashion often rare in corporate settings. The way they showed up for me was instrumental in setting the tone for my success in the internship. It helped me leap out of my comfort zone with seeming ease and allowed me to explore so many avenues that were enabled by the environment I was in.

 

Living alone was another aspect of immense emotional transformation. I learned a lot about independence but most importantly, grew to love my own company. I moved to a city where I didn’t know anyone and had to find my way around alone. It felt daunting and the whole flight there, I was fleshing out different possibilities of misfortune in my head. But once I started exploring and stepping out of my comfort zone, I didn’t stop!

 

Another factor contributing was the work I did itself. I was able to network a lot and was trusted with a lot of roles and responsibilities. This did wonders for my self-confidence, not just professionally but also personally. I learned how to conduct myself, present myself, communicate and so on. I wanted to deep dive into work and so was able to take a lot of initiative as well. Learning about different aspects of the field I wanted to explore was eye-opening because I was able to immerse myself and practically learn everything.

 

 

  1. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

 

 

I think for me every learning is valuable, small or big. I am constantly looking to leap out of my comfort zone, explore the unfamiliar, challenge myself, gain perspective and meet different people. This experience for me checked all those boxes and more.

 

I pushed myself by balancing a high-demanding internship while taking summer courses for credit. I challenged myself by doing my first corporate internship for a big company in an unfamiliar field and a totally new city. I gained varying perspective owing to the different people I was able to meet and the different contexts I was able to operate in.

 

The work I did and the environment I was in was instrumental in providing clarity on my career goals. It illuminated what I wanted, what I didn’t, what I was good at, what I could explore and so on. I didn’t come out with a definite answer but instead, multiple questions. Which for me was exactly what I was looking for so I can spend the next few years answering those questions.

 

The experienced surpassed just professional goals but gave me a lot to think about personally as well. I am grateful and glad for the opportunity and truly will cherish it forever.

Canadian Parliament Internship Program Experience STEP Reflection

For the past five weeks of this summer, I lived in Ottawa, Canada where I interned in the office of Anthony Rota, Canada’s House of Common’s Assistant Deputy Speaker and Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole. During my time as an intern in Mr. Rota’s office, I honed skills vital to my academic and professional success and developed a significantly deeper understanding of Canada’s history, government, culture, society, and both domestic and international issues, which, through juxtaposition, has allowed me to learn more about the United States’ political system. I found the comparison and contrasts fascinating and the opportunity to view the United States from another perspective was extremely beneficial.

In the office, my responsibilities entailed conducting policy research, creating policy issue and committee meeting briefings, writing speeches, responding to constituents, and assisting with public relations through social media. In addition, outside of the office, I voluntarily attended various committee meetings and parliament sessions and volunteered for Mr. Rota’s reelection campaign. Ultimately, through these duties as an intern in and outside Mr. Rota’s office as well as the mentorship of my supervisor, Chief of Staff Eamonn Horan-Lunney, I greatly enhanced my problem-solving skills, written and verbal communication skills, research and analytic skills, and leadership and management skills. However, most notably, through these various responsibilities and my observance of both the government’s and opposition party’s tactics, I learned the importance of constructing and directing a consistent, overarching narrative through the selective inclusion and omission of certain words, details, or pieces of evidence in order to effectively persuade others—a lesson that will be incredibly valuable in my future academic and professional career as I intend to pursue a law degree.

Moreover, through frequent observation of the proceedings in the House, Senate, and their respective committees as well as first-hand experience investigating policy issues in Mr. Rota’s office, I developed a comprehensive understanding of how the parliamentary system of government comparatively operates and the current, salient policy contentions in Canadian politics. Ultimately, although the Canadian Senate has recently become more active in amending bills, I was surprised to discover that the government legislated more efficiently and, arguably, more responsibly than the US government—even though the Canadian system lacks the same magnitude of checks and balances. I also found that the lack of extensive campaign financing, lobbying, and nonpartisan districting in Canadian politics ensured that no groups were disenfranchised or, alternatively, given more power than others in determining electoral outcomes. Furthermore, I found that Canada prides itself on encouraging multiculturalism rather than cultural assimilation approach used in the US, which, seems to have drastically reduced tension and aggression between groups and led to less violence and racism in their society. I also observed that Canada had a remarkably different relationship with its indigenous population than the US government has with ours: actively seeking reconciliation and reparations through new government programs, legislature, and benefits. Finally, I was able to explore the implementation and efficacy of progressive legislature currently still under debate in the US such as a universal childcare benefit, the legalization of cannabis, and the imposition of a carbon tax.

All in all, these skills and this knowledge will be profound assets in my law school experience and future career, and I fully intend to apply what I have learned to engender positive reform in my community, state, and country.

Lastly, while in Canada, I took advantage of opportunities to experience the local culture. For instance, I went to various museums, restaurants, concerts, and art galleries in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City. As a result, I now have a less ethnocentric perspective and have a deeper appreciation for other cultures.

Overall, my experience in Canada has made me a more worldly individual and has imbued me with skills, traits, and knowledge, which will undoubtedly prove to be not only useful but essential to my future studies in law school and later in my career in politics or law. Thus, I greatly appreciate the STEP program’s role in facilitating this amazing opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Certified Nursing Assistant Program STEP Reflection

My STEP signature project involved taking a certified nursing assistant training program. Taking this course is essential as a stepping stone towards my career path as a physician’s assistant, as it allows me to gain experience in the medical field. In this class we learned how to provide the best care for anyone who is in need.

Throughout this course I learned a lot about why people act a certain way when they are in need of medical attention. I used to think that the elderly people are just always cranky and miserable. In this class I learned that this is not the case.  There are a lot of reasons why the geriatric population become so agitated in their old age. A lot of it has to do with being lonely and not receiving the proper care needed. When you are older people you love start to die around you, your friends, family, etc. Therefore, life can become very lonely and heartbreaking, leading to people starting to neglect their health and hygiene, causing them to end up in a nursing home where most CNA’s are employed.

Learning this has allowed me to open my eyes and become empathetic towards the elderly population. It has allowed me to understand their conditions, and make me want to aid in them feeling better by giving the care and love needed that is yearned for by everyone no matter what age or condition they are in. My view now is that everyone, old, young, middle aged, boy, girl, etc. all deserve the best quality care possible in order to make their day, and their lives better altogether. As a future care giver, this is my goal while working in the medical field.

One relationship that aided in my transformation and realization was my certified nursing assistant instructor. She taught the class the basic fundamentals that were strictly scientific and anatomical. However, she would always bring in her real life experiences, and tell her students her stories in order to help us remember the fundamentals better; along with this reasoning for her stories she would tell them in order to help us learn what to do and what NOT to do as professionals in the medical field. She would talk about big things like not being empathetic, or co-workers she knew who were not giving patients enough attention.

All of these stories engrained in our brain to do the opposite. To know to be empathetic towards the patients, and to always put your best effort in, because if your resident/patient looks messy that’s a reflection on you and worsens your patient’s/resident’s condition. If your patients are cleaned, dressed properly, shaved, etc. this would show that you always take impeccable care of anyone you are caring for, striving to try and better their lives.

Another impactful interaction was our time at clinical at the end of our training program. At the end of our hours in the classroom we had clinical for 5 days, 6 hours a day. This is where we go into a nursing home, are assigned to a CNA working there, and follow them around while applying our skills learned in class to real life situations with real residents/patients. For three of those 5 days I was in the dementia unit. This unit taught me a lot and allowed me to gain an abundant of hands on experience because unfortunately those people are in need of a lot of care from the employees. Since they have dementia, they do not know what is going on all of the time, allowing them to be confused and grow agitated. This can be another cause of agitation in old age, and seeing this first hand, while learning the extensive amount of help these people needed, allowed me to change from my previous thinking.

This change and transformation are valuable to me because it has allowed me to grow and understand first-hand what caring for patients/residents involves. It is a team effort starting from the doctors, physician’s assistant, nurses, all the way to the CNA’s and requires the best care from each. Therefore, no matter if I am the CNA, or physician assistant I will be empathetic towards the patient, give my best care, and try to understand the situation they’re in, in order to try to just make their day, well-being, health, and overall life better.

Piper’s Canadian Parliamentary Internship Program

My STEP signature project consisted of an internship with a Member of the Canadian Parliament. For five weeks, I lived in Ottawa and worked as an intern in the office of Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins – James Bay. On a daily basis, I shadowed Mr. Angus in his Parliamentary duties, and assisted him and his staff in their operations, research, and legislative work. In my time in Ottawa, I was able to witness and participate in many exciting events on Parliament Hill. I observed Question Period, attended receptions and networking events, helped my MP organize an International Grand Committee for Parliamentarians around the world, and more. These experiences, and the people I met along the way, have made my STEP signature project a truly transformative and meaningful part of my life, and something I will remember fondly for years to come.

My understanding of the world was transformed significantly by this project, as I expanded my knowledge of the country and government of Canada, and also my knowledge of how a political office functions. For my whole life, I have been interested in politics, but it is so difficult to visualize what a career in politics may actually look like beyond the most visible aspects of the field. Working in the office of MP Charlie Angus, I saw for myself how much work is put into preparing the kind of things we might hear about the news. So much more goes on behind the scenes, and issues are so much more nuanced than you can really glean from a news clip. Furthermore, I saw how many issues actually pass through a political office– things that are dealt with without ever reaching the public eye. Even constituents who are directly affected by laws often have no idea where those laws come from, or even stop to consider the cause of the effect. I have always thought that it is hard to know how something really gets done until you try to do it yourself, and the same turned out to be true here.

in the House of Commons

The most transformative aspects of my STEP project were the relationships I formed with the members of Team Charlie Angus, with whom I worked most closely in our office, as well as all the others I met along the way, especially those working in the New Democratic Party. I learned so much from these relationships, and gained extremely valuable mentorships. I expanded my networks to meet members of the New Democratic Party, both staff and Members of Parliament, interns from across party lines and from the United States, Canada and the Ukraine, Parliamentarians from countries around the world, such as Germany, Estonia, and the United Kingdom. These people were so inviting and encouraging to me, and the way in which we interacted made me feel extremely valued. This working environment and the positive reinforcement from our team made it possible for me to envision myself working in this kind of place in the future. Furthermore, I did not meet Justin Trudeau, but he did say ‘hi’ to me, and that was pretty cool.

with the Speaker of the Senate, the Hon. George J. Furey

Even with all the exciting events and occasions that I got to take part in, my favorite part of my STEP experience was coming in to the office every day to see the other members of our staff. Charlie, Jan, and Laurent are an amazing team and each one of them treated me with so much respect and kindness, that I couldn’t have asked for better mentors, teachers or friends. Charlie is an incredible person and truly a unique Parliamentarian, as he and his team stand up and fight for the people in their riding who need it the most, especially Indigenous people. Additionally, Charlie treats everyone on his team as equals and extended this philosophy even to me, an intern. When I said goodbye to Charlie he told me it had been an ‘honor’ to work with me. Imagine that, from the Member of Parliament himself! On my last day in Ottawa as I walked through the office to say goodbye, I was brought to tears; but they reminded me that it doesn’t have to be goodbye forever.

from left to right: Laurent, Jan, Piper, Charlie

Prior to this project, I had a cynical view of politics, and believed that even though I am interested in politics, I could never see myself pursuing a career in government. I didn’t think it would be possible to work in government in a way that didn’t force me to compromise my morals and values for the sake of campaign donations. I was completely disillusioned by the frequency with which I hear about political scandals and corruption, or just the general direction my country seems to be taking. I was starting to think that there weren’t any good people left in politics and that because of that, I shouldn’t even try to be one. Well, MP Charlie Angus and his team completely transformed that perception for me. The integrity and ethics that guide Charlie and his team are evident in everything they do, and I have so much respect for their mandate. They showed me what good politics look like, and that the problem isn’t that there are no good guys in politics, just not enough of them. This inspired me to reconsider my views of politics and politicians. 

The connections I made in Ottawa not only inspired me to consider a career in politics, but also to see ways in which that career might be able to materialize, by informing me of various opportunities and programs. One such program I learned about was the Masters of Political Management at Carleton University in Ottawa. This program trains students on how to manage a political office, and helps them to get jobs in government through internships and partnerships with political offices. I think in the future, if I maintain my interests in Canadian Politics and in returning to the Canadian Parliament, I will seriously consider this program as a way of doing so. I have never been able to see a clear path to a career in politics for myself; now I can see that I would fit right in. 

 

Summer Global Internship Program: Singapore ’19

             Over the 2019 Summer I used my STEP fellowship to spend 8-weeks interning in Singapore. Throughout the internship I was able to gain valuable skills relating to my specialization, Finance, as well as to immerse myself in the rich culture of Southeast Asia.

               From my internship and exploration of Southeast Asian culture I was able to develop myself professionally, as well as to challenge the assumptions and world views I had previously held. My internship allowed me exposure to the often quiet, uncommunicative, and individualized workplaces prominent in Southeast Asia. While this new style of company culture was difficult to navigate, it was priceless experience that has enabled me to feel confident operating outside a traditional Western workplace. My non-work-related travels throughout Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam also allowed me to explore the unique and diverse culture instilled into each of the three countries above.

               Some of the most eye-opening experiences I had while in Singapore came through my internship at Phillip Capital Management. My job as an intern was to assist the company’s investment and finance teams. I worked on various projects ranging from managing excel worksheets to exploring my own interests within finance and investments. One of my favorite projects in the internship that provided me valuable experience came from a model I was tasked with constructing to aid in analyzing the best securities to invest in at any given point. While this model was purely theoretical, the framework allowed me to learn more about the way securities are analyzed, how global markets rise and fall, and how to utilize software applications such Bloomberg, Excel, and Python programs to analyze and visualize data fluidly.

               Throughout the internship I also had the opportunity to network with individuals within Phillip Capital Management, as well as in other companies across a range of industries. Networking was one of the best ways to plan my future career, and Singapore was one of the best places to do it. Through my internship I had the privilege attend conferences on commodity mining and trading in Southeast Asia/venture capital in Israel, attend seminars on the state of national banks in Sri Lanka, participate in Bloomberg training at their Singapore headquarters, and to begin constructing a landscape study of the opportunities for robo-advisory in Southeast Asia with a fellow coworker. In each case, I was able to gain niche experience and meet a range of individuals who each had invaluable information to share.

               While I was able to develop myself professionally and to prepare myself for future internship/career opportunities, I was also able to explore the culture hidden in the large cities and hidden gems tucked away in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam: Malacca, Bangkok, Krabi, and Hanoi. In each trip I was able to explore what it meant to be a part of the communities thriving in each part of the world, what defined their culture, and where it came from. From exploring the seaside city of Malacca that still hinted at its European colonel influences, to the fast-paced and sprawling city of Bangkok, to the other-worldly tropical islands, quiet towns, and elephant sanctuary surrounding Krabi, and to the never-ending rows of markets and nightlife that defined Hanoi. From these I was able to change the way I saw the world, and to come to understand and appreciate the lives of not only those working within big business, but those leading quiet lives that represent the majority of Southeast Asia.

               My experience throughout the 8-week internship has forever changed the way I will look at both company and community culture in Southeast Asia. I now feel able to acclimate myself to a range of intellectual environments where I can challenge myself to keep up with a demanding work culture. However, I have also come to appreciate the parts of the world where tradition, family, and history define communities that hardly resemble anything I had previously been exposed to. Both sides of these experiences I was able to share with the other students participating in the Summer Global Internship program, and because of it, I feel I have grown myself to approach my future internships and career opportunities with no only confidence, but also with understanding and respect for the culture that defines the companies and the communities in which they serve.