During September of 2021, I had the opportunity to stay with my friend and her mom, Ms. Anne. Through this experience, I was so inspired to have a better attitude throughout my difficult times. Watching Ms. Anne face many hardships and uncertainties with a smile on her face encouraged me to examine how I was handling some of my struggles. As we were talking one morning, one thing in particular stood out to me. She told me that, “bad things happen to everyone but the way you respond to it can either make you or break you.” I’ve heard different variations of this saying before but for some reason it really stuck with me. It was something I needed to hear at the time and I have since heard it from other people as well. It echoed in my mind for the rest of the year and into this one as I face different situations. Without her — and my friends Sara and Devon — I wouldn’t have made it as successfully through the year as I did. Their determination to get to their goals has inspired me to find my purpose and my passion inside and outside of the workforce. Being around these individuals has further pushed me to my limits and expanded my interests into various avenues.
All of the people who are no longer in my life are all still very much a part of me. I still carry the lessons that I have learned from them with me daily and I strive to make everyone I meet feel loved and cared for. Because of my experiences with them, I don’t take any situation or dynamic for granted and I am always grateful for every opportunity that I get whether it be meeting people or a new work related opportunity. In this way, I am inspired to always do my best in any given situation and communicate in the best way possible.
Going into this new workspace, I hoped was to carry all of the positive and hard lessons I’ve learned, people I’ve met, various skills, and talent into this position. From the two months I have been the Nine13sports Communications & Marketing Intern, I have already been able to observe and learn so much. I’ve quickly realized the importance of real life application as I’ve been trying to put my knowledge and skills into practice. Because there is such a collaborative culture here at Nine13sports, I have been trying to give the best most educated input that I can offer while I continue learning along the way.
I’ve been able to see the work and preparation that goes into our two main programs, Kids Riding Bikes and Kids Building Bikes. I’ve had first hand experience with Kids Riding Bikes, as I have had the opportunity to help run this program at Crestview Elementary School with the Program Operations Director, Chris Harris, and Kids Riding Bikes Instructor, Charlie Griswold. I was able to directly see the impact that this program has on the kids as well as the impact they have on us. Through taking pictures throughout the day, I was able to see the small little reactions, learning moments, and laughs we each had and shared throughout our time with them.
I have also seen the impacts of having an enthusiastic approach and how this can positively impact networking as well. Through observing Chris Harris, the overseer of my internship, I have seen his infectious positivity make an impact on those he connects with inside and outside the office. Even if a situation looks bleak, he never fails to have something positive and uplifting to say. This is something that has really stood out to me and I hope to carry these experiences and special moments with me throughout my career. I want to be a sponge and absorb everything that I can while making a difference here at Nine13sports.