As the leaves fall and the cold sets in, I can’t help but be overly sentimental this holiday season. Fall as always been my favorite time of year, because of the pumpkin lattes, endless scarves and boots, and the always possible occurrence of snow. This fall, however, I am pleased to take in these autumn wonders while spending most of my week in downtown Corvallis, interning for CALYX, Inc. I am thrilled to be given the opportunity of working for CALYX this term, because gives me the ability understand my two passions in once place: advertising and the written word.
As summer fell away and the impending beginning of my last year at OSU neared, I wondered where I was going after graduation. That’s the beauty and the hardship of being an English major; we are here because we love literature not because we want a technical degree like engineering and we rely on faith that we will find our niche when we graduate. I’ve always had a passion for advertising and have had quite a bit of experience in it, but I also have an interest in just about everything else so I was scared as to what might become of me come next Spring. I realized that an internship might be of use to me with the current job market and competition between applicants and frantically began searching.
The CALYX, Inc internship just sort of fell into my lap one day and I knew it was the right avenue for me. Here I can learn about all sides of my literary interests, which will not only help me compete for a job later on, but it also helps me decide which passion I will chose to pursue.
In addition to learning about my interests in a job setting, I have also gained a different sense of self through this internship experience. For one, I have always depicted myself as a strong, independent woman and have never liked the idea of relying on others for help. I pride myself on being able to make it on my own, overcome challenges, and face the world as the woman my father taught me to be. I carry myself as my father’s daughter–living the way he did and experiencing all that I can as he taught me to do. This internship has helped to motivate that feeling of independence and adventure. Walking around downtown in my fancy winter clothing I feel professional and I always stop to realize that I am on a path that is taking me towards the life I want. I am finally feeling a sense of that business woman feeling I have always desired. Secondly, getting this internship has motivated to me take on more opportunities. I have begun writing frequently for the The Daily Barometer, applying to other press internships, and polishing my fiction pieces for publication.
I am thankful for the opportunity to work with other fantastic women who carry themselves in the same manner as myself. These women are strong and independent and help motivate other women of the same type to get their voices heard. I am pleased to be apart of that and to learn about the lives of other women, their challenges, and their success stories. I am excited to see where this internship takes me and what other opportunities arise because of it.
Here’s to new adventures,
Cristina Himka, fall promotions intern 2011
