This is it. This is my final blog post as a 2017 Indium Corporation intern. The last ten weeks have been incredible, and looking back only proves to me that this program is effective in teaching us to become the best version of ourselves.

On the first day, I was nervous, but excited. After hearing from so many other people about Indium Corporation’s award-winning internship program, I couldn’t help but wonder what it took for this to receive as much praise and as many awards as it had.

It didn’t take long for me to realize why. The company culture is distinctive in its recognition of hard work and striving for a dedication to “Respect, Appreciation, and Achievement.” The other interns were immediately friendly, and excited to learn more about each other, which helped to build new friendships between us.

We would have the chance to regularly meet every week, to learn unique soft skills that have grown our competitiveness in the search for our future careers. We’ve been granted a voice to speak on the intricacies of our internship experiences through these blog posts, of which have inspired me to reflect back on myself, and understand the impact this has had on my life.

To start, I’d like to thank my supervisor Amie Estrella, as well as my coworker Linda Bakos, who have guided me through unique challenges and processes that most college students have never experienced before. They’ve granted me the independence to prove myself and my knowledge. And for that, I am grateful.

As for the facilitators of this internship program, Jim McCoy, Dawn Roller, and Anita Brown; they have done an incredible job of engaging with us and developing this incredible opportunity. Thank you.

To the CFO of the company, Mike McKenna, thank you for providing me with respect as an intern and teaching me the importance of finance in any company for any industry. To the President of the company, Greg Evans, thank you for meeting with us, to emphasize the importance of providing experience to the newest generation, and for staying humble through the success of Indium Corporation.

And finally, to the other interns, thank you for giving me the chance to show my personality, to connect with people who understand me and where I come from. Hopefully, keeping in touch will be easier done than said.

This has changed my life for the better. I don’t know where I’d be without the guidance and support I’ve received, or the friendships I’ve made. But this is only the beginning.

Thank you.