Luis Ateca interned with ReSources and gained experience in grassroot responses to food insecurity.
Why did you choose this internship?
Because of Covid-19, my original internship plans were scrapped, and I needed to brainstorm of areas where I could enhance my collaboration skills. I chose Resources because I saw opportunity in not just helping the non-profit organization distribute food but develop skills that can benefit me when collaborating with different organizations.
The internship gave me a sense of life enrichment. Professional skills are very important to carry, but I would argue that we also need community service skills. I feel satisfied in knowing I am making a difference with other volunteers, and I plan to incorporate any form of community service throughout my professional life.
What did you find most challenging about your internship?
Balancing full-time work, full-time school, and an internship can be stressful. Organizing my time accordingly to make sure everything was completed was sometimes tricky. The most important thing I learned was to communicate the challenges that were present with my internship supervisor, my department manager, and school advisors. By doing so, I realize that sometimes random obstacles will appear, and we need a help overcoming them.