Internship Diary: Taking the Leap

The morning of my first day at PATTERN, I remember building in a lot of extra time to get there, wandering around the Hard Rock Cafe trying to find the entrance to our office on the second floor, and being rescued by one of the other interns who I spotted from across the street. Despite my rocky start, the first day was full of excitement and being thrown right into the fast-paced nature of the internship, where everyone is expected to be accountable for themselves and their own work.

Flash forward to today, where coming downtown, finding parking, and waltzing into the office without the added stress in the morning is a regular occurrence twice a week. Over the course of the 12 weeks I’ve been here, I’ve become more confident in my writing and my ability to put myself out there, more comfortable in pushing my limits and challenging myself when needed, and have truly found a love for the people I work with in a city that is filled with so much vibrancy and so many creative individuals.

Being a professional writing student at a school dominated by engineering majors and pre-med students alike, it’s hard to feel like there’s a cohesive fashion and arts community for me to connect to. Being here at PATTERN this summer, on the other hand, has proven to be a wonderful and interconnected creative community that has opened so many doors for me.

Before PATTERN, I hadn’t really dipped my toe into the world of networking at all. While I don’t think I’ve fully submerged myself into it thus far, I feel much more prepared and well-equipped for putting myself out there to create long-lasting connections with creative professionals and benefit my own career aspirations for the future. One of the ongoing projects towards the latter part of the summer that I had the opportunity to work on was a video series showcasing women in power around the Indianapolis area. Not only was I immensely inspired by the various and diverse women we interviewed for the series, but I was also able to network and learn about career paths I had never considered before.

While I never considered myself someone who didn’t appreciate what Indianapolis has to offer here, being downtown and immersing myself in the art and fashion scene this summer has shown me a whole different side of the city. One instance in particular where I realized how many like-minded creative people were here was the annual STREETExPO we threw a couple of weeks ago, where vendors came out to sell their local streetwear and fashion. This was such an amazing experience that I’ll never forget, as I got to witness the collaboration of so many individuals including myself come together and help the creative side of Indy grow for the better.

As we wrap up this summer, and I must return to the busy schedule and bustle of life as a student on a large campus, I find myself already feeling nostalgic for these experiences and memories I’ve created while here at PATTERN. One of the biggest takeaways I’ve learned over the summer is this: you can’t expect for everything to fall into your lap to be successful. The work you put into something is the outcome you’ll receive, and learning early and developing the habits of a go-getter will get you far in life, which is something that I plan to carry with me into my future experiences and beyond.

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