Though there are many positive comments I can make about my experience this summer at Indium Corporation as the Marketing Communications intern, what truly set these ten weeks apart for me was the opportunity to be involved and create an impact beyond my job responsibilities. The culture at Indium Corporation promotes meaningful engagement with the local community, and this is by no means taken lightly. During the internship, in addition to working on projects and connecting with fellow peers and other Indium employees, we as interns were encouraged to attend a volunteer event at Proctor Park, a local park in Utica, N.Y. Being new to the area, I was particularly looking forward to this event as a unique opportunity to explore the local community.
Opportunities to Grow Beyond My Job
Volunteer clean-up events are not new to me: at UNC Chapel Hill, where I am currently pursuing a degree in Advertising and Public Relations, my sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, has a volunteer activity every semester to clean up the highway near our campus. What was new to me, however, was the fact that I had the opportunity to experience this as part of an internship program. During most of my previous internship experiences, I was barely expected to be involved beyond what was considered my job, so the opportunities to discover something new that excited me was limited.
This volunteer event was one of many activities we participated in as part of our weekly lunch and learns. Lunch and learns are special lunch breaks scheduled every Wednesday throughout the course of the ten week internship program for interns to connect with each other while learning from folks across many different departments at Indium Corporation. The agenda for each lunch and learn varies—for example, during the first week, we had an internal networking event with the interns from previous years and heard about why so many of them chose to return to Indium Corporation full-time after the conclusion of their internships. In other lunch and learns, we were given opportunities to gain key insights and knowledge about the company and the industries we serve, as well as the chance to work toward professional development by practicing essential soft skills, such as personal branding and public speaking/presentation.
Volunteering at Proctor Park
The volunteer event occured within our second week of the internship. Prior to the actual clean-up activities, we gathered and heard from Philip Bean--President of Olmstead City of Greater Utica Incorporated--about the park and the work in progress to renovate it. We then met with Erik Sheehan, a volunteer at the park who has been working hard to get started on its renovation, to receive guidelines for our activities for the day. We were shown how to load topsoil into wheel barrels and use it to cover the weeds surrounding trees, pick up trash around the park, and even plant a new tree. It initially seemed like a lot of work, but as we worked together and chatted along, we quickly got into the groove. I first took on the trash-picking task with Thuy, a fellow intern in Technical Sales, and we had so much fun walking around and exploring the park. Upon our return to the larger group, we helped the other interns load the wheel barrels with mulch and cover the weeds.
The whole event was filled with laughter and small talk. The atmosphere was so casual and nice. To be honest, I found it so much easier to connect with other interns through this event than through usual formal situations. Even as we concluded the work, many of us weren't ready to leave. It was rewarding to hear that the work we did saved a lot of time for the people working there and how the renovated park will serve as a local spot for entertainment and relaxation for many in the community. We also were provided many snacks to bring back to work—which was definitely a nice surprise!
My Reflection
I found the clean-up and renovating activities particularly meaningful because I have benefited so much from the local community and its infrastructure here (especially because I stayed at one of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute dorms for the summer) without being able to give back in practical ways. Since I am not from the area, it was a nice opportunity to contribute to a certain extent.
Through this volunteer event, I became convinced that Indium Corporation not only talks the talk about making impacts on the surrounding community, but also walks the walk. As an intern, it was exciting to be a part of this process and explore how I can personally contribute to the company’s community involvement. I have also enjoyed taking part in different activities as part of this internship program instead of only sticking to what I am expected to do as the Marketing Communications Intern, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the program has to offer!