Kyle Week 6 – Personal Growth in the Program

Hello everyone,

I decided to make this weeks post about the personal growth I’ve noticed in myself since starting the Detroit Community Based Research Program.

This program is a big deal for me. While it’s not my first internship it is my first traditional internship. What I mean by this is that this is my first internship where I go to an office and work regular hours. My last internship was a grantwriting internship with the Warrendale Community Organization. I worked wherever I had a laptop and whenever I had time. This internship is different, I work Monday through Friday from 9-5 and occasionally from home. I’m used to working 8-5 a few days per week while also going to class so I’m used to working. What’s new is that this is closer to my Public Health degree than working as an office assistant at UM-Dearborn.

Living on my own

I’ve noticed a lot of growth for me with living on my own. Before the program I hadn’t lived on my own before. This is my first time living away from my family. This also makes it the first time I have lived in an apartment completely alone. This comes with pros and cons. Overall, I think I am happier this way as I enjoy the freedom this comes with. I do feel lonely, isolated and alone a lot though in my apartment. I think I’m getting more used to it but sometimes have a hard time on some weekends when I can’t talk to anyone in person.

Coming in to the program I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle living on my own but I think I’m a natural problem solver so I have found strategies to getting everything done. I enjoy this because I get to do it to my standards and on my time.

Meeting new people

I’ve noticed for a while that I’m stuck with meeting new people. I’ve wanted to make new friends but find it challenging. I’m an introvert and I prefer deeper conversation to small talk. I think a lot before speaking and probably don’t talk enough. During the school year I also spend most of my time on UM-Dearborn’s campus. As a commuter school it’s hard to make friends. Most people (myself included) go to class, then work and try to catch up on coursework and trying to have a social life and rest with whatever time we have left. Adding to this is the 10-11 hours per week I spend commuting to go to class and work. This really limits the time I have for making friends.I know some people from class but that doesn’t easily translate to hanging out because of how busy everyone is and that we may live 2 hours away from each other.

I do want to make new friends though and have been trying to do that throughout the internship. I still find it difficult though. I’ve met some people but most weekends and nights off I still spend alone in my apartment. There’s been group nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and there’s been some more progress this past week thanks to a requirement that we meet with someone else in the program. I got to interact with several students and one on one with deeper conversation which works better for me. What I am learning is that I am capable of reaching out and meeting new people. Hopefully, this will lead to more friendships as we get to know each other.

Takeaways

What I keep coming back to is that I find a way to make things work and keep going.

If I’m honest I was scared of starting this internship. I like routine and this disrupted every part of my normal routine. It was a new living environment, a new work environment, I would be farther away from my friends than normal doing a new style of work with all new people mostly from a different college than me. I was worried I would be judged and looked down on and shunned for being a Dearborn student instead of a Ann Arbor student (It’s happened to me with other Ann Arbor students before).

But I started it. I moved in and did my best to hit the ground running. I found that I like this new living environment, most of the time I like my new work environment, I’m farther away from my friends but we make it work and I get along with my coworkers. I haven’t experienced anything negative from any of the students in the program and for the most part there seems to be a genuine interest in UM-Dearborn instead of judging it for not being Ann Arbor.

I’ve also found that I may be going down the right path with Public Health and working with non-profits. It’s similar to my other working experiences. It’s hectic but everyone is doing what they can to push the organization further and to help people.

I pushed myself because I wanted to grow as a person and I’ve found that I have been growing throughout this program. I think I’m more confident in living on my own and meeting new people and trying new things. Which I think is what personal growth is all about.

Overall, I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program and am glad I took the opportunity. I think I’m a different person than I was when I started and that what’s changing is for the better.