At the beginning of the summer, lots of people looked at me like I had three heads when I told them my summer plans. Being a double major, I’m used to the strange looks and continued on with my plans.

In February I received an offer of an internship at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. As an intern, I would be responsible for assisting instructors with the step of the class, providing individual students with one-on-one attention when they required it and just generally helping students learn more about art and develop a greater understanding and appreciation for it. Being at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, also offered me the potential to be a ceramic studio tech, something I greatly looked forward to. I quickly accepted the offer, dreaming of all the wonderful things I would be a part of for the next several months.

As with most internships, this internship was an unpaid one. While my parents were happy enough to have me home for the summer, they would not be responsible for my gas and spending money for the summer. I began the quest for a part-time job, which would allow me to work my internship. My internship hours were from eight until 4, Monday through Friday, allowing me to work somewhere else from five until close during the weeks and all day during the weekends. I at first thought that it would easy for me to find a part-time job.

I began the job hunt early in April, by the time early May rolled around, I had only received three call backs and scheduled two interviews. At the end of one of the interviews, I was offered a position, which I quickly accepted. I wasn’t necessarily desperate, but with the start date of my internship quickly approaching, I knew that I needed something to pay for gas.

I accepted a position at a maternity clothing store. Having previous experience in retail, I figured that this would be the same. What I failed to realize was that I had previously worked in a resale retail setting, something I greatly enjoyed. While I am happy to say that I was employed this summer, and that I had a job to pay for gas to my internship, I can’t say that I plan on going back to my part-time job.

In mid-May, I started my first summer class, which would be one of three. In order to graduate with two degrees, in four and half years, I’ve been taking summer classes since deciding to double major. While one of my summer classes was a general education requirement, two of the classes would be major classes which required a heavy workload.

The same week I started my part-time job, I also started my internship. I was immediately dropped into a classroom of middle school children, learning about clay and mosaics. Not only was it my favorite class to assist with, because of the group of students, it was also taught by one of my favorite teachers. I quickly learned everything I never knew about running an art classroom, and coordinating projects for children as young as six, all the way up to high schoolers.

By the end of the summer, I was offered a position co-teaching a class with one of my favorite teachers. It was a clay camp, and it would have the largest group of students I had worked with yet. I quickly jumped and the chance to take on more responsibility. Teaching during my final week of camp was a wonderful experience, and while I don’t plan on teaching forever, I can see myself teaching in the near future.

During what I was beginning to think of as my summer of chaos, I scheduled an interview for a job for after I graduated. This job, would not be in my preferred area, but it is teaching art for a non-profit organization. During the school year it would only being part-time, but during the summer it would be full-time. I toured the facility and was immediately struck by how much they needed an arts program, and somehow who was dedicated to art. I was offered the position and immediately accepted.

While this job is not nearly enough money, or enough hours for me, I’ve always known that I would be working multiple jobs after graduation. I want the challenge of this job, of establishing something I know that will last after I’ve gone. I’m happiest knowing that I have a job for after I graduate, something most students in my position do not.

Between a full-time internship, a part-time job and three summer classes, I’ve somehow managed to find the balance between all three. Along the way, I’ve made some incredible friends, accepted a job for December and got to spend a week in Virginia doing archeological work.

The next time someone looks at me like I have three heads when I tell them my plans, I am going to tell that all that I’ve accomplished.