Well, this week started out like any other. We had the ETV Endowment Intern Luncheon on Monday, and Moe’s catered, and then – Oh, sorry. Yeah, it wasn’t like any other. The lunch on Monday was awesome because I got to see the other interns (minus RoseCatherine – we missed you), and I got to see what they have been working on all summer. I was super nervous about having to get up and speak to a room full of people, but I somehow managed to get through it. Just kidding, I didn’t just manage, (I think) I crushed it.
One of my go-to sayings since the beginning of the summer has been, “a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” This old proverb simply means that if you aren’t challenged, you will never learn and never grow. Since I recorded my interview for the intern video this week, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my summer here. I remember my first day. I wasn’t nervous, which surprised me, because I expected to wake up with butterflies in my stomach, but not that day for some reason. I felt comfortable and prepared to face any challenges that were thrown my way. I had to trust that everything in my life had led to this moment, and that everything I was taught would help me to succeed.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” really applies to this summer because I had the privilege of facing a brand new challenge each week. And those challenges have made feel even more confident that I have the tools I need to succeed. But they also taught me lessons and helped me to learn not to make the same mistakes again. (No, for those of you hoping for drama, none of the mistakes were catastrophic, but I will do things differently the next time I encounter similar situations.) And guess what? I am more confident because of those “mistakes.”
Now, where was I? Ah, yes the intern luncheon – well, not much else to report on that front, other than the group photo we took! Also, Donna took Sean and I on what she claims was the fifty cent tour, but it felt a little more in-depth than the one I got on my first day. Seriously, I think we covered every inch of the building.
Tuesday was pretty low key. I spent the day wrapping up the Upcountry History Museum on Let’s Go! I also prepared for Wednesday. What happened Wednesday, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. I got to go on my last (*insert sad face emoji*) Let’s Go! shoot. We went to the Catawba Cultural Center in Rock Hill.
This experience was really cool because it was another one of those times where I forgot I was an intern. (This has actually happened a lot of times this summer.) The reason for this, in this particular instance, was because I was the one running the show and everyone was asking me what to do, so it was kind of fun getting to use some of my leadership skills. It was also wonderful getting to experience a side of South Carolina’s history that is often neglected, or forgotten. Fun fact (I'm really into fun facts, just ask anyone that knows me): the Catawba Indian Nation, which is about 3,000 acres, is the state’s only federally recognized tribe.
I feel like the shoot went really well. The interview went very smoothly, and I thought the interviewee did a great job. It was nice to kind of take charge of the shoot and be able to direct everyone with what to do. (It really is amazing how much more confident I am now compared to day one, because I would not have been able to do all that then.) One of the things I have loved the most about my experience this summer is that every new skill I have learned, I learned by doing it. Often, I wouldn’t have an option, but I would put on my big girl pants and do it, without hesitation.
Also this week, I again faced a new challenge trying to set up an interview for my final project this summer: the August South Carolina African American History Calendar (SCAAHC) video. I learned that I couldn’t be shy or hesitant; I just had to suck it up and do my job. (Something you may or not know about me: I float back and forth being an extrovert and an introvert, so phone calls can sometimes be scary for me.) Needless to say, I gave myself a nice pat on the back once I finally got everything sorted out, but setting up the interview was about a week long process involving several voicemails and emails that never got a response. But it all worked out in the end, and – you know what? – That was just yet another rough sea that made me a better sailor.
On the horizon, I see some pretty big swells, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. On the schedule is an interview for the SCAAHC August video, finishing up the Catawba Cultural Center videos for Let’s Go!, and editing the August SCAAHC video. It sounds like a lot to accomplish in only a week, but I have climbed taller mountains (or waves, if you’re married to the idea of a sea metaphor).