Summer 2011 is coming to an end and lately I have been reflecting on how I have made use of my time. It all began the week after finals with LeaderShape. As on-site coordinator, I had an amazing time coordinating events and helping to provide the best experience for a group of 65 PSU student leaders. A day after the end of the program, I attended the orientation for my internship at the Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection downtown. My internship ends this week and I am amazed at how much I have grown and learned in so little time. The staff is great and so are my co-interns, but most of all, I have valued the opportunity to have a direct impact on peoples’ lives on a daily basis.

When I applied for the internship, I knew it would be a great opportunity for me to better understand the field and see if I could pursue this as a future career path. I remember messing up a phone call on the first day, stating that I was calling from the “Bureau of Consumer Consumption”. I remember getting paper stuck in the fax machine because I did not remove the staple. Now I look at these things and laugh, but at the time I was traumatized. But I also remember closing my first complaint, which was a big deal to me because as “Mediators” our job is to bring the consumer and producer to a common ground. Sometimes neither party is satisfied, sometimes both parties are content, but either way, once our job is done and a file is closed, it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

In between planning my future, developing my skills, and adding to my resume, I had to take some time off for family, so I went back home (Canada) where I attended my sister’s commencement ceremony. I believe this is the first college graduation I have attended and it was inspiring to see what I am working towards. Seeing proud families and ambitious graduates added dry wood to the motivational fire in me that had been slightly dwindling overtime. It was a kind of wake-up call for me and it helped me to revisit and analyze my goals for my senior year. I watched honors students, proud of their accomplishments, walking across the stage confident in their abilities and I was inspired to always be the best at what I do, because it pays off.

After roughly a week and a half of family time, I was back in State College for Part II of my summer: LSAT prep. I came home to a box of Kaplan LSAT prep books at my doorstep and two days later, classes started. Right away, we took the diagnostic test to determine our incoming level of preparation. Although the classes are only held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the homework in between class sessions is very time consuming. There is a lot of homework, a lot of reading, and a lot of thinking that has required me to go beyond my traditional pattern of thought. All of this has been a challenge, but I can proudly say that my score has increased in the last month by 8pts, so maybe there is hope!

And finally, I found a job with PSU Lionline. It has been a greater experience than I expected so far. My co-workers and I even went to see Harry Potter together (AMAZING) and everyone seems to be passionate about the experience.  I will be taking a leave of absence in the fall to study abroad, but I will continue to work with PSU Lionline when I return to campus in the spring.

So much has happened this summer and I wish I could share it all. From ArtsFest to my birthday dinner to my experience as a student panelist for the College of the Liberal Arts’ Spend a Summer Day program – it has all been amazing. Even the few spare moments I have had this summer have been productive. For example, in between Spend a Summer Day panel sessions, my friend Rachel and I came up with the brilliant idea to create a music video featuring some of the College’s finest celebrities.

As my study abroad departure date draws nearer, it is gradually hitting me: I am going to England! I recently found out that Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter) is going to be “studying abroad” at Oxford in the fall as well. Stay tuned for any pictures or posts because we will obviously become BFFs.  

But all of my summer activities end this week: my internship, my LSAT class, my job, Spend a Summer Day, even my lease. And it has been such an eventful and educational summer. I am not sure how I feel about it coming to an end. After the Summer Leadership Conference I will not set foot in State College again until January. I cannot imagine how it feels to graduate when I already feel this nostalgic about leaving Penn State for only a semester. At the end of the day, I’m taking the lessons learned from my experiences to create newer and better ones, so I can’t complain.

Enjoy the rest of Your Summer!

Peace & Love Always