Entry by Pat Patterson – from the January 2011 INTERNnetwork
You never know when opportunity may come knocking on your door. Nick Ewing is a great example. A few days before graduating from Columbia City High School, Ewing received an unexpected call. Working at a Dairy Queen with no intention to attend college, Ewing received an internship offer that would soon alter the course of his life.
As a student at Columbia City High School, Ewing was involved with numerous video projects, as he completed more than 10 video related courses and worked as a lead anchor for his school news. When the Whitley County Community Foundation needed an intern familiar with video, Ewing’s name was mentioned, and the director of the Foundation was impressed with his work that she viewed on YouTube.
When Ewing was introduced to the Whitley County Community Foundation’s opportunity, he did not know too much about internships. What he did know was that the internship was a paid position that aligned with his career interests. Since the internship was only offered to students, Ewing enrolled for a class at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) and was excited to accept the internship offer.
During his internship, Ewing completed nearly a dozen video interviews of key figures in the Foundation’s history and created a video library. He had a lot of creative freedom with his project work and learned about working in a professional environment. “I learned how to communicate with other people more clearly and with more confidence,” states Ewing. He is still currently interning for the Foundation, working on a video to celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary.
Ewing is grateful for his internship experience. “My internship is the reason why I am in college now. I learned that it takes hard work to succeed in life,” Ewing asserts. He is currently attending IPFW with plans to transfer to Ball State University to study communications. Ewing’s internship has reinforced his passions, as he aspires to both direct films and act after graduating from college.
At the Whitley County Community Foundation, Ewing discovered the path to follow his career interests. He believes that the best way to make the most out of an internship experience is to find an opportunity that interests you and to have fun with it. Ewing contends, “You never know, it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Internships in Action
Are you an intern in action like Nick Ewing? We want to hear about your internships! Indiana INTERNnet seeks individuals to feature in the monthly Interns in Action Spotlight. Interns may nominate themselves or be nominated by employers and educators. Tell us your story – contact Pat Patterson at ppatterson@indianachamber.com or 317-264-6863.
