Summer Intern Corner : Last blog entry this summer - reflection on thesummer gone by...

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Reflections of a DSSD Summer Intern

By Melanie


Growing up is hard, everyone knows that. But it’s even more difficult when you don’t know what to expect. The majority of kids my age have never stepped foot in an office, they’ve never known the real responsibilities of having a “real” job. Most kids, thus far, have worked for themselves only. They’ve gone through all of their schooling getting grades only to reflect their own capability, their own work. But they don’t know how to work to please a boss. They don’t know the feeling of being relied on. I was certainly this way before I started working for Stamford Downtown. I’d never had a job before this internship. I’d never had a boss before. I worked hard in school for my gain, my personal benefit.

But by working at DSSD, I’ve gotten to witness a kind of foreign environment I’d never known. I’ve experienced first-hand how important it is to stay organized. If you lose a paper, or misplace a check, it’s more than just yourself that you’re disappointing. I’ve seen how essential collaboration is when representing a district, when choosing a piece of art to display, or putting on a show for people to enjoy. I’ve seen the DSSD staff come together to execute a concert series as well as debate over text size for an advertisement poster. But, when it really comes down to it, there is a common goal. There is a sense of teamwork, a sense of family here, a knowledge that everyone is working together on a single mission: to make Stamford better. Better to work, better to play, and better to live. As I reflect on my time at DSSD, I see that more than making my own boss proud, I have been made proud by the hardworking, diligent, opinionated, detail-oriented, caring people that work every day, not for their personal gain, but for the betterment of our city, our community.

So I thank every person working at DSSD for the opportunity they’ve given to me. I thank them for the knowledge they have bestowed, and their service to our lively downtown – a place where I meet with friends, where I enjoy a meal with my family, a place I call home.
Editors Note: Thank you Melanie!!! and to the Mayors Youth Employment Program for sending us two terrific summer interns -- they will be missed at our office, but we know they will go on to do great things. 

 #stamforddowntown