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Internship
Dane Salabak
11 April 2013
Seventh Reflective Essay
I have learned about many aspects of myself during the course of internship. Not only
have I learned specific tasks that must be carried out at the courthouse, but I have also learned
about how I learn these tasks as well as how I interact with others. These have been very
valuable insights to develop.
There are many tasks that I am responsible for completing at my internship. One that
occurs daily is pulling files. This has become a very routine and nearly mindless task for me to
complete, as it is regular and fairly simple. Another assignment I have recently taken on is filling
out arraignment forms. These forms are completed after a defendant has their initial status
conference, where the charges are laid out and bond is set. The form contains all information that
the defendant and the involved attorneys will need to know, such as dates and times for their
upcoming hearings and trials. One of the newest duties with which I have been charged is
running the recording devices in the courtroom. I have found this to be a rather difficult duty, as I
have not received a formal training; so to speak, I have only observed one of the other secretaries
doing this. I have a hard time learning by watching as I do best if I can actually perform the task
a few times while being observed and coached. I have only just begun having this responsibility,
and I know that I can always ask for help if I need it.
Through the experience of learning all of these tasks, I have learned about myself. I
always considered myself a very confident person, so I was surprised when I felt uncomfortable
at the beginning of my internship. I felt as though I was being judged because I was unsure of
how to do things, and this make me less confident in myself. There is also a strong sense of
accountability in the courthouse, and this was a little frightening to me at first because the
intensity of it was unfamiliar. I have certainly learned to check everything that I am doing twice
and that it is always better to ask for help and feel incapable than to mess up something. Also at
the beginning of my internship, I was dreading having to do filing and paperwork, as it was
guaranteed to be part of my internship. I was very surprised when I discovered that I did not
mind it too much. It can become a little tedious at times, but there are certainly worse tasks one
could find oneself doing in life.
I have been able to apply experiences from my internship to all areas of my Senior
Portfolio. My internship is very closely related to my intended career of environmental law. The
main reason I wanted to intern at the Courthouse was to see if I wanted to pursue law school or
follow another path. I have truly enjoyed being exposed to the different types of law and I am
convinced that I would like to pursue a career in law. Additionally, since the work I am doing at
the courthouse is unpaid, it creates a clear connection to the citizenship portion of my senior
portfolio. I think this is a very good test of how strongly I wish to pursue my career, since there
is not a monetary motivation to do well. Despite this, I believe that I am suited for a career in
law. Finally, my internship applies to the Life Long Learning section of my portfolio. I have
developed new skills for learning that I will be able to carry with me throughout my life. I have
been able to learn by trial and error, and being able to recognize when you need help and not be
too proud to ask. Having only a short explanation for a task and being expected to carry it out
successful right off the bat has taught me to be more attentive and made me more confident.
There is a direct correlation between my internship and all parts of my senior portfolio.
My internship has taught me how a real-life situation can apply to the ideals to which we
hold ourselves at Federal Hocking. In turn, I have come to the realization that the portfolio we
are required to complete at this school is a valuable endeavor. The concept within the portfolio
has taught me to take all of my experiences outside and inside of school to the next level of
learning to help me move through my life and career.
Content – 3.75
Conventions – 3.75
Overall - 49
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April 3, 2013
Internship Paper #7
This relates to the three main areas of my senior portfolio, which are Career and College,
Leadership/Citizenship, and Life Long Learner by knowing what I want to do as a career and
make the best decisions for myself in the future. The internships have helped me succeed in who
I want to be as a person. As, I go off to college I will have the nursing home and birth center
experience, and have a head start to what I will be doing as a Registered Nurse in the two fields.
As to my Leadership in my portfolio, I tend to be early to where I need to be to get ready for the
day of work. I am a kind person because of how I was raised by my parents. I grew up by the
saying “always treat other as if you wanted to be treated.”
This internship has impacted my view of learning by the registered nurses and midwives
demonstrating on what are being needed to be done to each mother and baby. There are a lot of
tasks that they have to do in order to do their job right. It is making things easier to understand
after they demonstrate it. After viewing what has been done I would use my skills that I have
gained and apply them from what I learned by observing them.
My attitude has changed because I am realizing that I need to look and speak more
professional by wearing the purple scrubs to be a part of them. I need to have an open-mind
about the different decisions that you will make as a registered nurse. These choices will help me
in the long run. Being at O’Bleness for my internship has helped me find who I really am as a
person, which is being aggressive, strong-minded, well kind, and spontaneous.
I have taken many roles as a senior student by being responsible for my actions and being
a good listener if someone needs it. As I was a senior in the volleyball program I took many roles
such as leading stretches and drills also show another players on the team if they aren’t doing
something right, like serving, passing, and setting. I started being more aggressive with
community service such as, interviewing retirement home residents for preference of lap-robe
blanket styles, sewed blankets and delivered to each resident, organized and participated in
Angel Tree fundraisers, organized a canned food drive, participated in the Big Brothers Big
Sisters program, coached the 6th grade volleyball team, volunteered at biddy league volleyball
games 12 hours, donated blood at blood drives.
I am very pleased to my communication skills as being a leader and taking on
responsibilities. I am taking a role on the birth center floor at O’Bleness to help the registered
nurses and mid-wives jobs easier by answering the security doors and letting people in and
having them sign in, getting ice for people, pass lunch trays, running urine samples and blood
work down to the lab, etc. I plan on continuing my success in Leadership to not just help me but
help the community people surrounding me as well.
Some things that I have learned at O’Bleness are the proper way to clean and restock the
baby cribs, weigh the babies correctly, how to get ready for a patient in triage, etc. Two things
that I have learned about myself while participating in the internship program is having to be
more patient about things, and more caring to others.
This prompt is designed for reflection on your role as a student. First, reflect on this internship
and how it relates to the three main areas of the senior portfolio (Career and College, Leadership
/ Citizenship, and Lifelong Learner Folios). Things to consider: How has this internship helped
your future decisions? – What are you going to college for?
Content – 3.5
Conventions – 3
Overall – 42
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Internship - #7
Mr. Salabak
4/11/13
At my internship, I have learned many important things that I can use in the future. The
stuff I have learned that has helped me on my senior project because composting is my senior
project as well as my internship. I like composting at my house. Even though on a larger scale
like the compost site at Ohio University, I see that they have a lot better equipment than I d at
home but I know that my compost site at my home is still as good as theirs. Composting has
been a good experience at Ohio University and it will help a lot in the future. My internship at
Ohio University's compost site has taught me many new things that I can use on my compost site
at home. It has helped me to learn even more for my senior project.
Doing this internship has my impacted my future decisions. I have learned that in my
future, I do not want to work at a compost plant at a college like the place that I intern at. But I
would not mind composting at the farm that I live on to either sell or use it like fertilizer on our
fields. I still do not want to go to college so the internship has not impacted that, but it has
impacted my decision on a career because I do not want to do compost as a career.
In my internship I have expressed some leadership by taking the initiative to do things
like pick up trash and push trays without anyone asking me to do so. I have learned this from
the people that I have worked for. I have also powerwashed tubs that people put food waste in
without anyone asking me to do so. As for citizenship, I am volunteering my time to be there
and do whatever they want me to do at the compost plant. I do whatever I am asked to do and do
not complain. This internship has not impacted my view of learning at all because I have
always learned better hands-on. Hands-on learning is what my internship is.
All in all, this internship has impacted me in my future decisions but not my view of
learning. It has impacted me in future decisions because I do not want to work at a compost
plant, and it is did not change my view of learning. My view of learning is still the same view
that I started my internship with. his internship has been a good experience for me so far. The
people I am working with have shown me that it can be a good thing to work with people that I
enjoy working with. It has also showed me that I have learned some things and can do them on
my own. I am also trusted to do them on my own.
Next, identify and reflect on what you’ve learned. You must include two (2) things you learned
in general (ex: how to file, chart, plan etc) at your site, and two (2) things you learned about
yourself while participating in this internship. You said you learned “things” and “stuff” but
what did you learn?
Content – 2
Conventions – 2.5
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