Traveling as Part of Your Internship: My Experience with Ashoka

October 15, 2017 Alexandria Brown

NYC Trip to work for Ashoka

Last week, I was in New York City for my first ever internship travel opportunity.  It was (of course) an exciting adventure, and I got the chance to see a side of New York City I found less intimidating and more endearing. The hotel I got to stay in was so quirky and millennial in SoHo, Manhattan.

I felt very privileged to have gotten a chance to witness the impact of my internship site, Ashoka, outside of our Arlington office. Since I don’t think I have properly explained: Ashoka is a non-profit organization that functions by investing in individuals or other organizations that are already functioning, to positively affect global systematic change.

One project that Ashoka facilitates is the AMEX Innovators Bootcamp. In these boot camps, emerging social entrepreneurs come together to share their ideas and listen to speakers who give insights on work environments, hiring, funding, and storytelling. I came along as a photographer and I helped to capture different moments and speakers throughout the boot camp. I was able to do something useful and something that I enjoyed simultaneously. The most interesting thing is, this assignment is not something I asked for or anticipated doing.

The lesson to be learned from this experience is to let your passion be your inner compass every once and while. If you happen to be a creative individual, use it to your advantage in the working world, because you can create more opportunities for yourself and your future.

Initiative is Valued and Creates New Opportunities 

When I came to Ashoka, I thought my job was going to stay within my abilities as a writer. Indeed, I have done a lot of writing, but towards the beginning of my internship at Ashoka, there was a going away party for one of their longtime and effective employees. I carry my camera around with me most days, and I thought it would be nice to take a few pictures of this person with co-workers to celebrate this milestone. I liked capturing smiles and pleasant moments between people, and so I did. I uploaded the photos to a Google doc folder and shared it with most of the people in the office. One of my supervisors took a look and liked what she saw and that is the reason why I was considered to be the photographer for the AMEX Boot Camp in New York City. 

I am not a trained photographer, but I’ve been told I have a good eye. 

The lesson to be learned from this experience is to let your passion be your inner compass every once and while. If you happen to be a creative individual, use it to your advantage in the working world, because you can create more opportunities for yourself and your future.

About the Author

Alexandria Brown

Alexandria majored in English and history and minored in environmental humanities at the University of Rochester in New York. She participated in TWC’s Fall 2017 Academic Internship Program, where she interned at Ashoka, a global non-profit that promotes social entrepreneurship.

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