As Summer 2016, comes to a close I find myself reflecting on how I spent my time this summer. I realized that for many of peers who are rising sophomores, the Class of 2019, there was a very real and very pressing expectation to use our first summer of college productively. We were faced with the expectation that we must have a job or a study abroad experience, or an internship (especially an internship) to make our time worthwhile. I know I spoke with some of my friends before the summer began, were stressed about not having a summer internship opportunity. I know I myself, had my fair share of uncertainty as the school year came to a close and the summer approached.
I was fortunate enough to secure a study abroad opportunity through Morehouse’ Foreign Language Department. I had a great learning experience there, but after I came home, I still felt somehow incomplete. I did not have an internship so part of me felt like I was not living up to expectations. The competitive culture of success that is a collegiate environment, far too often intertwines academic and extracurricular success, with self-worth. Somehow we get so caught up in the accolades and accomplishments of high achievement, that we forget that, they are not that important. They are nice, but an internship does not mean you are a righteous person, and a high paying summer job does not mean you are making a positive impact on the world.
I eventually was able to secure an internship. (I worked at ICX Media, an internet startup in D.C. that works with small production shops and individual creators to help them manage, market, and monetize their work. Sign up today!) Shameless plug aside, I was thinking about what I would have done if I had simply just worked a 9 to 5 job. And I realized that I had bought into the idea that all these accolades and titles were somehow making me a more important person. Sure they may be nice, but it’s our actions and how we live our life day to day, that really makes us important.
So I say to any student who may be feeling mediocre or struggling in their classes; do not be hard on yourself. Work your hardest and recognize that your self-worth is not tied to the jobs you work or the classes you take, but in the actions you take and the impact you have on the people around you.
