The emotions of starting an internship can be overwhelming, especially when you're the "new kid." Excitement, coming from starting a job that could end up being, potentially, what you spend the rest of your life doing. Nervousness, that stems from not really knowing what to expect. Anxiety, rooted in not knowing anyone and questioning your ability to make new friends and fit in. These are just some of the emotions that I experienced during my first days interning with espnW. I was the "new kid on the block," who was beginning my internship later than the other 47 interns (who began their journey back in June) working in Bristol, Conn. How was I going to fit in? Little did I know sticking out actually helped me.
Rookie camp
The morning of my first day of rookie camp, I entered Building 4 at ESPN ready to learn. I was prepared to sit back, take copious notes and only speak when spoken to. Joining me were about 20 full-time employees, headed to a plethora of departments. I was the only intern and did not expect to be noticed at all. The morning consisted of mostly background information about the basics of the company. The instructors encouraged feedback. I sat there quietly, afraid to say the wrong thing, while the older, full-time employees took over. Finally, a question came up which I felt comfortable answering. An instructor asked if anyone could tell him about experiences he or she has had with the company. I raised my hand to share my appreciation for espnW (of course) and how the company includes amateur athletics in their coverage, seeing that I am a college athlete myself. I was finally beginning to warm up to the environment and the people around me. As the day went on, they were starting to warm up to me also...
"You love me…you really love me!"
By lunch, I was taking pictures with other employees and receiving welcome tweets on Twitter. It was at that moment, I could let out a sigh of relief. I was excited to meet women and men who watched and supported college basketball. Everyone I met was super polite and had great things to say about Notre Dame and Coach McGraw. I even had the chance to meet a few Notre Dame alumni, and have a couple of heated debates on some of the top stories in sports. It was great. What more could I ask for? I was fitting in nicely.
My life in the office
My second day was actually my first day in the office. I arrived early, dressed up in my business casual clothes (which is much different than my daily attire of ND issue gear). I was ready to begin my first job.
After meeting everyone on my new team, and attending my first meeting, I was assigned to my first project: Finding images for the espnW online brackets that corresponded with some of the athletes in The Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine (I was the luckiest intern in the whole internship program). Time flew by that day, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. On my first day in the office I covered a lot of ground -- started and completed my first project, sat in on two conference calls (providing my input in one of them), was approved to cover a WNBA game (interviewed Natalie Novosel), and was told that I would be interviewing Olympians Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen on camera later that week! I was in my element. I could not believe how much hands-on experience I was going to be getting in my first week.
One lucky gal
Every day of my first week, I came in early and left late; it was almost like I didn’t want to leave because I was having so much fun learning from everyone. I’m thankful I was allowed to explore other departments besides my own. Being a rover really gave me a ton of insight on how things work and the opportunity to meet a lot of new people! All in all, being the "new kid on the block" isn't so bad at all. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful, making my transition into the internship program a smooth one. I no longer experience the anxiety and nervousness that I had on the start of Rookie Camp. Now, the only emotion that overwhelms me is the excitement of starting a new day at ESPN.
