Hey everyone! It’s crazy to think that there are only two more weeks left in the program! Time has flown by so fast, and it’s a bittersweet feeling knowing I’ll be heading home soon. I have been trying to use my time wisely and take advantage of this experience as much as I can, so it is enjoyable reflecting on each week and seeing how I have progressed in my internship and how much I have done while being abroad. Instead of traveling this weekend, we decided to stay in the city and explore, so this past week was packed with Dublin attractions and lots of fun.
We kicked off the week by going to a SZA concert on Wednesday. She’s one of my all-time favorite artists, and she was incredible live! Her voice sounded just as amazing in person as it does in her recordings. Thursday was the Fourth of July, and even though I was a bit bummed about not being in America for it, we made the most of it. My friends and I went to a few pubs, and it turned out to be a really fun night. Plus, everyone at work wished me a happy Fourth of July, and the cafeteria even served hot dogs and hamburgers, which was a sweet gesture.
On Friday, my friend Diana got us tickets to the Laughter Lounge, a famous comedy club in Dublin. She works there for her internship through our program, so we got free tickets and sat right in the front row. The show was hilarious, especially the jokes about Americans. Saturday was a big day for us Game of Thrones fans. We went on an 11-hour excursion around Northern Ireland, visiting various filming locations. We even got to wear cloaks and hold banners and swords, which was so much fun. I’d totally recommend it to any fellow Game of Thrones enthusiasts.
We wrapped up the weekend on Sunday with the Viking Splash Tour and a hurling match. For the splash tour, we wore Viking hats and learned all about the city by bus and boat, which was so much fun. After that, we went to Croke Park, the biggest stadium in Ireland, to watch Cork vs. Limerick in hurling. I was cheering for Cork since I visited there last weekend, and they won! The game was so fast-paced, and the Irish fans are super passionate, which made it even more exciting. Overall, it was an awesome weekend, and I’m glad I got to explore more of Dublin.
As for my internship, this week was pretty successful. I started doing more detailed tasks for the company, like completing reports that included budgets for grants. It felt good to do something important and know that I was contributing to the company. When it comes to leadership, I feel like this internship has helped me become such a better leader in so many different ways. Even though I didn’t lead any groups or projects, the skills that I learned and progressed along the way will help me with my leadership skills in the future. As I mentioned before, my supervisors giving me bigger responsibilities to complete for the company makes me feel a lot more confident in myself and it will help me to prepare with dealing with larger, more important tasks in the classroom and in the workplace. Before this internship, I was always a good team player, but I did not often take the leadership role in a group. I would sometimes get too nervous or I wouldn’t trust myself to have so much responsibility. However, I feel as though I am more prepared to take on that role and help everyone work well as a team. Seeing the trust that my coworkers and supervisors have in me make me feel like I am more capable than I thought I was. Also, the way the finance team works together so well and and are always willing to help each other out have set such a great example for me. I am very grateful for the leadership and direction that everyone at RCSI has giving me and I am hopeful that I can get to that place eventually. Stepping up into a leadership role can be a lot to take on, but I am more confident than ever that I can succeed in the future.
Overall, this program has been incredibly beneficial in so many ways, and I can confidently say it’s been the best experience. Even though I’m really sad about leaving soon, I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and I know I’m going to miss it once I get home.