ACUHO- I Summer Leadership Development Intern Statement

My summer at Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) has been an amazing one! I have learned and experienced so much that it is, in fact, hard to write about it. The greatest part of this whirlwind experience for me was that it reinforced, if not solidified, my desire to explore student leadership advising as a career within the field of housing. Being able to advise the talented students at SCSU during national conferences and retreats was a phenomenal opportunity that I felt blessed to have it. In addition, I was exposed to lots of great resources to utilize in the future as I work with students in many different capacities. I truly appreciated that I was treated as an equal by my supervisor. There was definitely a feeling of partnership and collaborative teamwork on all the projects that I put time into. I was given lots of autonomy and independence, so much so that I got to plan and create retreats, proposals, and guides to be implemented even after I depart Saint Cloud. That is an incredible feeling to have, knowing that even though my time here was short, the impact of my actions will leave a positive effect for the future. I feel as though I was empowered to do so by those I worked with. The people here at SCSU are invested in my professional development and it showed clearly through our interactions. I was given the opportunity to work with other departments on campus, such as the LGBT Resource Center where I learned many new skills. Another lasting memory I will take with me from this experience relates to the beauty of Minnesota. This is a gorgeous state with lots of things to do. Seeing the headwaters of the Mississippi was quite an experience as was checking out the Mall of America and the Twin Cities. Plus, I got to live next to the Mississippi and even go canoeing on it. Overall, I would recommend this position to anyone interested in student leadership programs in housing. It was a paramount experience!

The opportunities are endless as an ACUHO-I summer intern at St. Cloud State University. When searching for a summer internship I was hoping to find an internship where I could explore my interests, have a chance to work on projects different than those offered to me during the school year, and explore other departments. That is exactly what I found at SCSU! As the ACUHO-I Summer Leadership Development Intern I was able to help develop RHA and NRHH, two organizations I am extremely passionate about, as well as work on projects where I could incorporate my own talents and collaborate with other departments.

Not only was the internship rewarding professionally, the people that I interacted with were extremely friendly and created a very welcoming “home away from home”. With an ideal location, only an hour northwest of the Twin Cities, the city of St. Cloud had great shopping, exciting outdoor adventures and fun festivals and social opportunities. Even though my internship spanned a few summer months the memories I made, skills I gained and opportunities I had will last a lifetime.