What Am I Doing This Summer
[Summer 2020]
The months leading into this summer were a complete whirlwind. As someone who’s always loved interpersonal communications and interactions, the shift to seeing people almost exclusively on a screen and the change in how internships, programs, and classes operate has been jarring. Regardless, I’ve been able to engage in new opportunities that are teaching me so much!
Tufts students are doing so many different things right now, including taking summer classes, starting organizations to help their communities, and Jumbos4Jumbos internships offered by Tufts alumni! As a summer intern with the Tufts Admissions Office, I’ve been giving virtual tours of campus (that make me very homesick for Medford), meeting incoming Jumbos, and creating video and written content to share with prospective students. I love talking to future Tufts students and getting to share what I’ve learned during my first two years in college.
I’m also a Social Media Coordinator for a startup company called Cress Health. Cress is working to provide mental health support and resources for healthcare professionals experiencing burnout, which is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s such an important mission and I’m excited to be working with a great team to produce and share content with our audience. I’m also an Online Intensive participant through Girls Who Invest! GWI is an amazing organization helping young women interested in finance learn technical skills and build a community of strong women. The program has been challenging so far, but I’ve already learnt so much.
Balancing these different positions is definitely a bit tricky, especially with this remote landscape, but I’ve been improving my time management skills and learning more about how to really connect with my coworkers virtually. What’s helped me is making time for the things I love and are important to me! I love talking to my friends, seeing what they’ve been doing, and making plans for the future. We’ve also started a book club to keep each other accountable to read more and get book recommendations. Our latest read is The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, which I would definitely recommend! I’ve also been spending a lot of time recently educating myself on racism, bias, and the Model Minority myth, among other related topics. This has been really informative and has helped me explain things in a more accessible way to friends and family members.
I know this summer isn’t what most of us expected, but hopefully you’re finding ways to spend it doing something interesting that you enjoy!