Changing Perspectives

When I first was looking into interning at Make-A-Wish, I thought that working there would be such a sad experience. This is also the perspective that many others see when I tell them that I am interning there. But after a few months, I can see that Make-A-Wish has nothing but a positive work environment. Yes, there are sad days when you find out that a child has passed away or that some other terrible thing has happened to a family. But most days there are wishes coming true, smiling faces, and hard work and dedication. We had an intern lunch with Karen, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan. At this lunch we talked about how people believe that working at Make-A-Wish must be so sad. Every intern in the room had similar experiences to me in that they had found their work rewarding and empowering. My perspective on the workplace environment has also changed since my internship. When I first began, I thought that everyone would be devoted to their work and nothing else, but I have found that this is both true and untrue. Once, I overhead someone in the office saying how she had given her personal cell number to a family when they went on their international wish and how that family had called her with problems on a weekend when she wasn’t supposed to be working. She immediately tried to fix the issues that they were having. While there are other times when people are chatting about their personal lives or scanning facebook. I think every person that works at Make-A-Wish is committed to their jobs, but sometimes everyone needs a break. I think this internship has definitely changed me for the better. Seeing the way that these people almost sacrifice their own families and lives to help another is empowering to say the least. I never thought that I would want a job in the non-profit sector, but now I think it could be the perfect place for me.