Blog Post 3: Overcoming Obstacles

Going into the third week of my internship at Wigs 4 Kids, I began to doubt my decision to be there. I was only working with Corey, our social worker, once a week, and after my music video poster project was completed I had not been given any other artistic opportunities. I had dedicated eight to twelve hours of work every day, but I did not feel like I was doing anything relevant to my needs. During my third and fourth weeks, I received lots of criticism. While it was all constructive, it was difficult to hear at first.

I was also having a more difficult time with interacting with the kids than I had expected. Wigs 4 Kids took a fieldtrip to the Morley Candy Factory and the Webber Wildlife Museum, which I was invited to as a chaperone. I tried my best to interact with the Ambassadors, but since they were with their parents and siblings, I found it difficult. My employer was disappointed in how few my interactions were with the kids, which did not make me very happy.

The seemingly constant criticism, the difficulty with interacting with the kids, and not being given tasks related to what I psychology or art caused me to drive home every day in such a slump, believing that I should quit. But I didn’t. I knew that, even though things weren’t going well now, they would improve as I got more experience. I was receiving criticism because my superiors were trying to teach me, not bring me down.

 

Luckily, at the end of my fourth week, I was given a special opportunity since Corey would not be in. When an Ambassador comes in for psychological support for the first time, an intake is done- this is a questionnaire that provides Corey with background information that could help him during his sessions. However, since Corey wasn’t going to be in when this new Ambassador was, I was instructed to do the intake.

I was very excited to have been given this opportunity! This was the perfect chance to work on my interpersonal skills with kids. I was also finally given a new experience related to my interests. Jen, the Marketing Director, was assigned to observe me as she had done intakes before when Corey was absent. As the appointment time approached, I began to feel nervous. What if I did something wrong? As soon as the Ambassador and her family arrived, however, my nerves faded completely. I was totally comfortable during the entire intake, and I actually had fun! The Ambassador seemed to like me, too.

Jen said that I did a very good job, especially for my first intake. Her comments reflected how I felt: she said I seemed comfortable, confident, and happy to be there. She said that my mood helped to relax the Ambassador, who had been shy and a bit nervous herself when she first came in. Jen’s feedback felt so good. After a long two weeks of criticism and self-doubt, I finally felt good driving home. I knew after that day that I was exactly where I needed to