My title stems from my uncertainty and nervousness during my spring internship at Hospitality House. It may have not been my ideal internship going in, but I started to warm up to it quickly after it had begun. I was quite hesitant going in because the Hospitality House to me was where bad things occurred and bad people stayed. From the start, though we were just thrown into stuff we did not have a clue about but it wasn't too long until our supervisors, Sa's, and other staff members helped give us direction.
Whenever we first started, we were told that we would almost all be working behind the front desk with the shelter associates who are there 24/7. That quickly changed after the first week and we were put into other areas of the shelter such as the kitchen, and food pantry, and helped out our service coordinators there. This allowed me and other interns to grow tremendously in our communication skills and various other skills. Getting to work hands-on with the homeless population put a new perspective on how the criminal justice system needs to handle and get treatment for these people. The homeless population often gets overlooked and put to the wayside by the rest of society because they are perceived as non-intelligent, not clean, and troublesome.
Almost all of the staff members at the Hospitality House made me feel right at home and not once did they ask me to do something that they would not do. I was taught so many lessons by sitting down and having discussions with certain coordinators and shelter associates, and I valued their advice so much because they taught me how to carry myself and be a true professional in whatever I may do down the road. I was also able to sit down and have many conversations with our clients there at the shelter and it was such an enlightening experience to hear their stories. Hearing their stories made me think that I should not take for granted any possessions or experiences I may gain in life because they can be taken away in the blink of an eye.
This past semester at the Hospitality House has changed me for the better and allowed me to grow exponentially. At the beginning of the internship, I was quite timid and nervous not to make any mistakes but shortly after I learned that you cannot be perfect all the time and that was okay. The Hospitality House taught me so many lessons that will certainly carry over to whatever I pursue after college. It was such an honor to work with everyone there at the shelter and they were nothing short of amazing. This place will most definitely always have a special place in my heart.
Thank you for everything!
Alex Smith
