My Parkview internship: Morgan

This post was written by Morgan England, healthy living school program coach.

When I was in school, I was told repeatedly that internships were the best teacher and that they were incredibly important to a successful career. For me, this has proven true. Through different internships, I quickly learned which career path best suited me and my interests; I learned the importance of being willing to jump into new situations and learn on the fly. Most importantly, my internship experiences instilled a new confidence in myself and my ability to be a team member of an organization.

I participated in the Parkview Summer Internship program in the summer of 2015 with the Health and Well-being department. I found out about the internship opportunity after meeting with some team members and the former SVP of Health and Well-being. I originally reached out to them to learn more about what this team does, and at the end of the conversation they shared the possibility of an internship. I loved the idea of gaining experience in a role that fit my passions. 

My time with the Health and Well-being team was eye-opening and transformative. I was exposed to a whole new side of healthcare while working on both coworker and community well-being projects and initiatives. I didn’t realize how much of an impact this team and Parkview is making on the community. One of the things I was most grateful for was being thrown into each and every project they were working on. I was able to be a part of “real work” that went out to our entire coworker population, instead of simply working on a “project for the intern”. I collaborated with our leaders on developing different projects, as well as with all different age groups in our community. The fact that they trusted me with different projects, presentations and audiences fostered a greater sense of self-confidence within myself. 

At the end of my time, I returned to school for my last semester very thankful for all that I had learned. In November, one of the team members reached out to me and asked if I would be able to help with the benefits fair, since I had done a lot of work with the new health system well-being portal. After spending a few hours helping, the SVP asked if I would be interested in a position once I graduated. In January, I came on full-time, focusing primarily on our pediatric population.

My internship experience prepared me for an easy transition into this work. I knew the team members, the community and the projects we were involved in. I was able to articulate clearly which population I felt best suited to serve because I had worked with each of the groups. Because I was included as one of the team during my time as an intern, I felt comfortable and confident expressing my opinion. I was encouraged to jump right in and take on more projects. It was exactly what I needed for my first full-time position out of college.

To students contemplating an internship, take the opportunity. Jump in head first and become engaged in as much as you can. Our team has had three interns since I joined, and each left with a clearer picture of what they wanted to do. The work you do as an intern is valuable to the team; I am still using some of the work I did during my time as an intern. Be open to stepping outside of your comfort zone, because that is where you learn new things. The best way for you to truly find your best fit is through participating in the work. Our experiences teach and shape us into who we are and give us insight to the passions that lie within us.