The day I woke up to start my first day as an intern at RUSSETT PR was an exciting one. I will not lie, I was somewhat freaking out because not only was this my first time being an intern, but it was also the first time I will be working for a company that relates to what I want to do in life. After freaking out for a bit of excitement, it was finally time to log into my computer and commence my day as an intern. I work remotely, since RUSSETT PR is located in New York, so my experience was quite different compared to other interns working in person. I had to work from my own desk at home, which I redecorated and organized to feel like I was working in an office. I might not get the same internship experience as others but I was not going to let that stop me from enjoying my time working for RUSSETT PR.

How did my day start, you might ask? Well, I first had a call with my supervisor Lauren Russett, who is an alumnus of DePaul University and the owner of RUSSETT PR. Lauren gave me a bit of background about her company, laid out the tasks I will do during my internship, and gave me a heads-up on future projects she is working on. Afterward, we talked about what we expected from each other during our time working together. During the call, I was like a sponge taking in all the information and writing it in my notebook so I will not forget. 

Once the call ended, it was time for me to begin my tasks. I was excited to start working on my tasks but I was also overthinking how well I would do in them. As an intern, you have a natural eagerness to do well in your work but doubting your ability can sometimes affect what you define as having a successful time in your internship. This is why asking questions is such an important thing to do in your internship, which is something I had to learn to do. I felt like I needed to know everything when I started my internship. And I also felt that if I asked too many questions it would show my inability to do tasks. But I quickly realized that the whole point of an internship is to learn! And so, for the following days of my internship, I became more comfortable with the idea to ask questions when I needed assistance which helped me learn some tips and tricks about how to do my tasks. Asking questions eventually helped me reduce my stress and anxiety and I felt more comfortable doing my tasks and working for RUSSETT PR.

 My supervisor and I are in constant communication talking about my tasks, progress, suggestions, and much more. I am glad to have Lauren as my supervisor as she has made my first internship experience enjoyable even while being remote.

After having worked in my internship for a little over a month, a lesson I learned was that internships are not as scary as they seem to be. Yes, you are working for a company that is trusting you with their information and expects that you can help in some way with their success. But remember you are also there for yourself to grow as a professional in your career, and your supervisor(s) know this. The worst thing you can do is hide in the shadows of being named an intern. You are not just “the intern.” See yourself as an asset to the company you are working for and it will reflect on your work. And remember to not be ashamed to ask questions. Asking questions is not a weakness, it is the way you learn and become better at something. Being an intern should be a fun and engaging learning experience, so take a deep breath and believe in yourself. You will do amazing work!