My STEP project was a consulting internship in Houston, Texas. I used the money for mostly housing costs as I rented an Airbnb for my stay in Houston. Through this internship, I was able to grow myself professionally as well as further my career.
I would say the major view change I had during my STEP project was being in a different city. I have lived in Columbus, Ohio my entire life. I grew up 3 miles from the Ohio State campus, so I never really got outside of my comfort zone. I always had a backup and knew I could always just go home when things got rough. Moving to Houston, Texas for the summer and being pretty much on my own was eye-opening. It allowed me to grow as a person and feel what it’s like to live on my own in a different city. I don’t regret the decision at all it showed me I can accomplish the things I set my mind to and it showed me discipline and the things I need to be able to do to live on my own.
I’d say a few of the major events/activities that changed my view and helped me were meeting my coworkers, the first step into my place to live for 8 weeks, and making new relationships. I had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to life away and one of the things that helped me was my coworkers and fellow interns. They gave me someone to talk to because we were all in the same boat, a lot of the interns were from different parts of Texas other than Houston. So, it was good to have people that were in the same situation as me.
I’d say the moment it became real was when I first stepped into my studio apartment with my dad and watched him drive away. It hit me that this was going to be my life for the next 8 weeks. It was a moment of realization that I didn’t have any family or friends to rely on and that I needed to start doing things for myself. I never really cooked for myself most days of the week and I had to learn a new city quickly. Houston is about 5 times the size of Columbus, so it was an entirely new feel.
To me, it feels hard as an adult to make new friends and meaningful relationships especially when moving somewhere new. That was something I struggled with for a bit but ultimately it was quite simple. The company I interned for hosted events like kickball and trivia night, so I just made sure to go to that and meet the people I work with. Everyone likes to have a good time so if I made sure to show up it was easy to connect with others.
I’d say this experience has been very valuable for me. The STEP money allowed me to be able to afford to live in a new city for the summer. I also was able to grow as a person as well as professionally. Due to the STEP program, I have been given a full-time offer for post-graduation. I am very grateful for this opportunity and the future ahead. I plan to accept the offer for the Columbus office as I have realized that being close to family is important to me and the Houston traffic was horrible.