What can I say about working at the Arkansas Alumni Association? There’s not much to say other than it is uh-MAY-zing! Since coming to work here, I have had nothing but good times and growing experiences.
My first day on the job, I was met with open arms and welcoming faces. As I climbed the steps to the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House, my phone was vibrating nonstop, alerting me of emails that I was receiving from current staff members. I literally smiled from ear to ear knowing that so many people were welcoming me to the team. As I entered into the work area (then the floor level of the House), I got even more excited. From my previous internship and past experiences, I was used to working in an area where I could interact with others but it would mainly be a quiet environment…the Membership & Marketing team didn’t get that memo! There was so much life and spirit in that open area that I was almost worried that people didn’t take their meds. After about five minutes of adjusting, an outsider wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was my first day. The dynamics of the team were surreal, and I felt as much at home as a young college guy could feel around five screaming working women. But it was from that first moment that I knew it would be a great year at the Alumni House.
I consider myself to be independent and an achiever, always wanting to put my best foot forward. If anything, I had the chance to do that and more working with Membership & Marketing. The projects given to me caused me to actually apply the skills that I had been learning in the classroom during my college career. With my current experience, I knew that businesses were very cross-functional on the daily basis. So was my internship. With any given project, I was focusing on doing background research, looking at associated costs, creating marketing tactics and much more. My supervisor was always around to make sure I was heading in the right direction, but trusted me enough to know that I wouldn’t drive the Association into the ground! I learned the importance of open communication, making sure everyone was on board with a project and how to ensure that everyone involved would be successful.
Thanks to my internship. I am proud to say that I will be working as a project coordinator for the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) Institute after graduation! The ALPFA Institute works hard to be the premier global source of thought leadership for Latino talent, diversity outreach and engagement, workplace inclusion and Latina leadership.
These past eight months can’t be compared to anything. From the outstanding people to the freedom and growth, I don’t think I will have another job like this. If I could, I would open this position to everyone so that they could all share in this greatness. Being an intern with Membership & Marketing was more than just completing the tasks at hand; it was getting to know those around me. It was getting to learn and live the purpose of the Arkansas Alumni Association. It was with PRIDE, PASSION and PROMISE that I am sad to give this up, but glad to know that I am leaving better than I arrived.
