Finally, the day that you thought that would never come. It is your last day at your placement, the showcase is tomorrow and after that you are headed up North for 3 weeks of friends, family, sunshine and beaches. You can’t wait.
Just nine weeks ago you were eager to prove yourself at your community placement, eager to learn about the non-profit sector and what a career path in the non-profit sector may look like, as well as exploring the city of Detroit and making friendships along the way. And while you did accomplish all of that you are tired.
This summer didn’t exactly pan out the way that you had anticipated. While most of it was out of your control, you still struggled. From not feeling like you completely measured up on your project all the way to the environment and the City of Detroit. And while you don’t necessarily see yourself settling in Detroit after this summer experience you are grateful for the time that you have had here. The time to learn of a place and culture that you always knew existed but never took the time to understand before. The events and programs that you had the privilege to attend and participate in during this summer have taught you lessons that you will carry with you throughout the rest of your career.
And finally, nine weeks ago you expected to walk away from this summer with more of a clear path and answers to what life might look like after this next year. Instead, you are walking away with more questions than answers. Ultimately although you are ready for this experience to end, you are grateful that you had this chance and experience. You are grateful that you learned more about yourself in this summer and how you respond to stress,what you need/expect from a supervisor and work environment, what it could look like to have a career in the non-profit sector and if it the reality of it is something that you can build a career out of.
