Position: Graphics Intern
School: Ohio University, graduating winter 2013
My First and Favorite Internship
Coming into this internship I had just finished my 4th year of school at OU with one semester left. To graduate, OU requires each student to complete an internship, and being a pretty shy person this was terrifying to me. I always got really nervous in interviews and was scared of “the real world.” The day I had my interview with Jodi, all of that fear went away. She explained what FlashStarts was (which I still didn’t completely understand) and what I would be doing for them. She asked if I thought it would be a good fit for me. It sounded perfect so, of course, I said yes.
Tackling Day 1
On my first day, nervous as could be, I decided that I wasn’t going to let it show and act like I knew what I was doing. Somehow, I pulled it off, or at least I think I did. I was placed with Rick Arlow who was starting RegulatoryBinder.com which coordinated clinical trials—I did not know what that meant but I went for it. The first week we decided on a logo, infographics, and completed initial mockups for the program. Needless to say, we worked our butts off but had fun doing it.
More Than Just an Internship
As I said before, coming into this internship I was pretty shy. I can honestly say that this has been one of the best experiences of my life. It has shown me who I am and who I can be. Who I am is not the shy person who started here three months ago. Through this internship, I have found my voice and have surprised myself with the work and dedication I have for design and this company.
As cliché as the saying is—“work doesn’t feel like work if you love what you do”—I’ve learned that that is 100% true. In the 81 days I spent here, not a single one felt like an obligation. I enjoyed coming to work every day and being with the people I worked with. This internship wasn’t just an internship; it was a life changing experience.
