Being a member of Hospitality House has been my ‘vacation’ this summer, as strange as it may seem. As I get older, summers become more work and less fun. This is my last summer as a college student, and I spent it in class and in two completely different internships, so I’ve been well overbooked. One of my internships was a more corporate, business focused PR position and the other was with Hospitality House, focusing on nonprofit PR. I did this because I wanted to make sure that I saw both sides of the PR world, and I am so glad that I did. Where I feel the corporate position gave me more practice with things concerning paperwork and handling business accounts, Hospitality House has shown me how much passion can go into public relations as well.
I say that volunteering/interning at Hospitality House was my ‘vacation’ because when I actually had a free day to go help cook lunch, help with donations, organize the attic, run errands, plan events, etc. it truly felt like a break to me. I was working because I was passionate, not just to meet a corporate deadline.
The people at Hospitality House are the reason for this. Staff members have been so respectful of my time and my schedule, and residents are always happy to see me and have a conversation even if I don’t get to see them very often. I have learned so much more about how to have real conversations with people, how to hear what a community wants and provide that to them, and more importantly how to just be a good listener.
Although my time was limited interning with Hospitality House, I will carry the memories I made with fellow interns, staff members, and residents for the rest of my career. No matter what you were there for, whether it be PR, non-profit management, criminal justice, economics, etc., everyone came together for the same purpose and passion. I hope one day I find myself in a career where I feel like I'm on vacation when I walk through the door.
