Two months ago, I was sitting at the airport waiting for my flight to Malta and I can remember clearly the way my heart was beating faster, the way my hands were shacking, the way I felt excited and scared at the same time. I was about to have my very first internship experience. I knew that practical experience is the best, and internships give students that hands-on experience they need but my internship in Willingness gave me more than I ever expected. It was a unique experience from the personal as well as academic point of view.
First of all, I was impressed by the work atmosphere in Willingness and I think it’s important to mention that everyone in Willingness organisation are extremely helpful and pleasant to each other. This kind of relationship lead me to higher work capacity, stronger self-confidence and a feeling that Willingness is a place where I belong. Secondly, my internship in Willingness taught me to be more creative. I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t a creative person before my internship, but Willingness took my creativity to the next level. All tasks, such as individual presentation, blog writing for Willingness website, case reviews during team meetings etc. taught me to think outside the box. And thirdly, I can truly admit that Willingness gave me a possibility to challenge my skills. Have you ever heard of Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of flow? Simply stated it’s a state of concentration and engagement that can be achieved when completing a task that challenges one’s skills. This is exactly what Willingness gave me; time became irrelevant, I felt like only a few minutes had passed when I had been engaged in an activity for hours.
And right now after two months, I’m in the airport again waiting my flight to my homeland and I’m feel like a completely different person. The past two months in Willingness were for me the best opportunity to establish intercultural contacts, improve my academic skills and grow as a person.
Inesa Lelyte is a Bachelor of Psychology student at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. She is interested in the areas of neuropsychology and neuro-cognitive psychology. Inesa is an intern at Willingness.com.mt.