Blog #5, March 1, 2016
Q: How do you feel like your internship is going so far? Are you forming good relationships with your coworkers? What can you do to improve your experience?
I feel like so far my internship is going good. There is a good atmosphere at the work site and I enjoy talking with my sponsor. Since I have taking a leave of absence for while, at the ned of the day on Thursday I was able to complete the mapping so Mary was super pleased and impressed that I got it all done in the matter of two days. I think she only expected me to complete half of the mapping so she was both happy and surprised when the clock hit 4:50 pm and I told her that I was finished. I know this because she called over rudy and brandon to look at my work and see all that I had got done and as a token of appreciation she gave me a blue bear. That is super cool because before my grandfather passed away, he worked for the convention center for more than half of his life so he held the facility and the blue bear near and dear to his heart. So to be receiving a blue bear statute that only the UAF staff members receive so that is an indication that my internship is doing well so far.
In my opinion, I am forming good relationships with my coworkers because they are really friendly when I pass by them when I am going into the office and usual say a quick hi or bye. They are super polite and on many occasions my sponsor has invited me to take a break with her and get something to eat at the cafe down the street or even see a new exhibit in the performing arts center. This is nice because it makes me feel as though i do have a relationship with my sponsor that isn’t just 100% professional, and we do. This is because everyday that I go into the office Mary asks how I am or is there anything new in school or my life and we catch up for a good five minutes before we get to work. Also she doesn’t seem upset with me at all while I’m there. Mary praises me if I’m doing something she really likes and then politely comments if I am doing something wrong or something she thinks can be improved on.
What I can do to improve my experience is not be so quiet. Most of the time I do say hi and bye but that is about the only time I interact with co workers unless Mary brings them to my cubicle to talk and show them what I am working on.
Blog #4, March 1, 2016
Q: What are you responsible for at your work place? What do you think is your main contribution to your work site?
What I am responsible for is do the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is for documentation of the UAF mural projects in the previous years. I am in charge of making sure all of the projects are documented with a photo, name, location and the coordinates of the artwork. Then after the spreadsheet is complete I am to figure out how to be able to map all of the projects using google maps. I am also responsible for making sure that I am working as fast but thoroughly as possible as well as keep to myself. This project takes a long time so I have to stay focused and get what Mary wants me to get done with the little time that I have there everyday.
I think this is my main contribution to my worksite because a majority of the time I am at the work site I work on completing the spreadsheet and shooting to meet the deadline of wanting to have the map and spreadsheet information up on the UAF website by the first week of March. This is important that I get this done due to Mary and all of the other co workers in the office not having time to do a spreadsheet and mapping since they are busy managing projects and getting applications for 2016 projects. So I believe working on the spreadsheet and mapping the projects is my main contribution to my work site. All my days so far have consisted of me going in to the office and working on the spreadsheet, preparing to do the mapping.
Blog #3, February 3, 2016
Q: How do your actions affect your workplace? Do you contribute positively? How do your co-workers’ actions affect your internship?
My actions affect my workplace because it can set the mood between Mary and I. If my actions are helpful, then Mary isn’t disappointed in me and usually when I get a majority of work done for the spreadsheet she compliments me. She is usually very pleased with my work that have done when I am there and in the office and I usually ask her questions when I need help or am not sure of something and I can tell she appreciates that I ask. My actions also effect my workplace because if I know I am doing something that isn’t right then my mood will deflate a little bit because I know can do it right but I might not be trying hard enough. So at times my actions can get the best of me but then I think that it’s going to be okay because Mary usually understands when I’m struggling.
I believe that I do contribute positively because I am working on a spreadsheet that enters in all of the previous years’ artwork. Then this spreadsheet, when completed, will be given to the marketing team to put onto The Denver Arts & Venues: Urban Arts Fund website.
My co-workers’ actions affect my internship by giving me positive feedback which lets me know if I am doing something the right or wrong way. If I am doing it correct I keep doing it that way but if I do it the wrong way then I ask them questions on where I went wrong and I try and improve those mistakes. Other than that my coworker’s actions don’t really affect my internship because the main person I communicate with on a day-to-day basis is Mary. So for the most part everyone else keeps to himself or herself in the office.
#2, January 26, 2016
Q: What was the best thing that happened this week at your internship? How did it make you feel?
The best thing that happened to me this week at my internship was being invited by Mary (my sponsor) to sit in on their monthly PAC meetings. This mean that once a month the Public Art Committee has three artists who present their work for place around the city and the committee puts in their final votes on which artist to vote for and they also propose ideas that may make the artwork complicated, such as maintenance or the stability of the artwork. Sitting in on the meeting made me feel important. There was a new member of the committee so everyone went around and did introductions for the new member. Mary introduced me and it make me feel happy that she felt the need to make my presence known to the other members of the committee.
Another thing that happened that made me feel the same way was Mary inviting me with her on our lunch break. This made me feel important as well because she didn’t have to invite me to tag along but, she was nice enough to do so. During this break we had a pleasant conversations about family and life outside of work and school so I felt as though I have a deeper relationship with my sponsor and not just my sponsor or boss. I now see her as a friend as well. This will definitely make working with Mary a lot more enjoyable now that I know she can be both professional and friendly.
Blog #1, January 19, 2016
Q: What did you learn from your first week at your internship? Did anything surprise you? Who did you meet and what do they do? Did you engage in any code switching?
My first week of interning at The Urban Arts Fund I realized it wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be. At First I thought the workers wouldn’t really acknowledge me but, I couldn’t be more wrong. By now people know that I am an intern and they try and help with as much as they possibly can.
What surprised me the most was that my boss, Mary Valdez has given me a cubicle so I have my own workspace. I thought I was going to have a space in my sponsors cubicle so that was a nice surprise.
I have met Brendan Picker. Branden is the coordinate director for the Urban Arts Fund and all of the members of the team considering the members on my floor are made up of only ten people. I have also met Stephanie Freeman who head of the advertising team.
I did not engage in any code switching because everyday that I have gone to intern has been a happy day so I don’t feel the need to code switch since my mood is always excited and eager to do more. The only time I really code switched was when I was coming into the office, I had to forget about all my personal troubles and focus on my task for the day. This wasn’t very hard because once I forgot my mood lifted and it felt as though I wasn’t code switching anymore because my mood became happy again. This is due to the atmosphere of the office being light and quiet so it becomes easy for me to be able to lose track of time in my work.