1- What does your day-to-day look like?

This summer I am running a one-on-one program for children with special needs. So far, since the campers have not arrived yet, my day-to-day for the past few weeks has consisted of reaching out to organizations and schools to see if they have any children interested in the program. I was beyond excited that after patiently waiting for a response, we filled up the program. Since we will be hosting eight children over nine weeks, I have also been working to prepare for the arrival of the campers. This includes meeting with parents to get to know them and their children, as well as working to make sure there are camp adaptations for the programming and the children. 

2- What are you enjoying most about your internship?

What I am enjoying most about the internship so far is getting to meet new people. I love how I get to interact with people who I have similar interests with and are around my age. This job is different than a lot of other jobs where there isn't a lot of socializing and I am so grateful to come to work excited every day. Once the campers arrive, I think I will love working with them more than anything, so I can't wait to officially start the camps.

3- How has this internship impacted your university experience?

This experience has brought me closer to the Town of Sackville and I have a new appreciation for our community. This is my first time experiencing a Sackville summer and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to get to know the town outside of the school year. I have been able to meet so many new people and experience new things that I would not have had the opportunity to do before. Making these connections has already impacted my university experience in ways I could not have imagined!

4- What has this experience shown you about potential career paths?

Working with these children is something I am so passionate about and a career in this area is something I have thought about significantly. I have worked with children with special needs in the past, but I wasn’t the lead on the program. I am excited to see what the summer is going to bring and how it may affect the way I want to develop a career in the future. This internship has opened my eyes to different career paths and possibilities. Even if I am not specializing in the field, I would love to be involved in a program such as this in some way. If I wasn’t able to partake in this internship, I might not have known this is something I want to do and I am so grateful!

5- What have you learned about what fuels your fire?

I love helping people and pushing people to their limits. I find it so rewarding to be able to watch in real-time the progression of a child learning and discovering new things. I will most likely only have five days with these children, but if I can make just one little impact on their life that would make me so happy.

Learn more about student internship opportunities at Mount Allison.

Find out about Mount Allison Summer Camps at mta.ca/summer.

This internship is funded by the Bell Scholarship Program.