Written by Denilson Saavedra
A reflection on my 10-week internship experience with Urban Equities.
My summer internship with Urban Equities, Inc. ended at the end of July. The experience was exciting, productive, and fun; however, it was also short-lived because the 10 weeks went by fast. Without a doubt, the time went by quickly because I enjoyed every single day working as an intern.
Here are five things I learned as an Urban Equities intern
Here are five things I learned as an Urban Equities intern
1: The People Were Amiable
I had conversations with Project Manager Whitni Mungin and Owner Lennox about workouts, healthy eating, and trips. These conversations were a nice break from the work and improved our friendships. Another aspect that I praise them for are the rides they offered me throughout the summer. They often offered to make my commutes more bearable (my primary form of transportation was the CTA) and I greatly appreciated that.
2: I Wanted to Start Early and Leave Late
The work I was doing was engaging! One week, I would be working on neighborhood research. Another week, I would be designing a home. The work environment made me achieve a state of flow daily. Getting to work on the website, do graphic design, and write blogs was an amazing experience for me especially because I knew my work was significant to the company.
3: They Wanted Me to Succeed
Throughout the internship, Whitni and Lennox offered suggestions for tasks and shared stories about their experience with me. Lennox made it clear to me that he cared about the quality of experience I will be getting with Urban Equities. He scheduled presentations for me to practice speaking in front of others and meetings where I led a few conversations.
4: They Wanted Me to Be Happy
Not too little work, not too much work at Urban Equities. The number of tasks that I was assigned was just right. This is because Lennox made everything clear for me, and he was understanding with deadlines. Also, Lennox and Whitni always asked me how my morning was when they came in to the office, no matter what. This small act was important to me because at the end of the day, we are all human beings with lives outside of work; not a lot of people care like this.
5: Great Leadership Surrounded Me
Back in June, Lennox was going to be traveling to New York on a Friday, and Whitni was going to be at a construction site for the day. I received an email from Lennox on Thursday telling me I could work remotely on Friday, and this instance occurred a couple more times throughout the summer. I realized the leadership at Urban Equities is understanding; if my coworker and boss would not be at the office on a Friday, I should not have to go either. And although I do not mind working at the office, I was happy to not spend two hours commuting to work and from work on those days. Additionally, seeing how the people at Urban Equities interact with others also demonstrated great leadership ability; they did not have a problem with listening to other people. Having patience and showing understanding are important qualities I look for in leaders.
In addition to having role models in the office, I was exposed to other leaders through presentations and meetings in my 10-week experience.
In addition to having role models in the office, I was exposed to other leaders through presentations and meetings in my 10-week experience.
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Denilson Saavedra is a Project Associate at Urban Equities and a contributing editor for the Bulletin Board. In his off time, Denilson enjoys listening to music, watching videos on YouTube, doing anything involving basketball, and working on art.
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