Column: Life as an Aggie intern in New York City

I’ve always dreamed of moving to New York City, living in an apartment and experiencing what it’s like to rely on the subway to get to and from work each day.

And after my uncle overheard a conversation between my mom and me at a family party about this dream of mine, I was lucky enough to make it a reality.

I had been to the Big Apple before — and by the way, if you call it the “Big Apple” there, you’ll get made fun of and told it exposes you as an obvious tourist — but only once, three years ago on a vacation.

My internship at ThomasArts was a chance to actually live the life I had always seen in TV shows. And although it wasn’t as glamorous as Rachel Green in “Friends”, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

However, ThomasArts is an advertising agency, and I’m a broadcast journalism student with no prior experience in marketing. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the job part of my summer plans.

My parents, on the other hand, were ecstatic — after their initial shock — that I would be working and learning what it’s like to be a “real adult” who doesn’t ever get breaks.

“I couldn’t believe you were independent and brave enough to actually do it,” my mom said to me. “I am super glad you went, though. You will not have a chance to do anything like that in your later years.”

And I have to say, after working a career job all summer, I’m not looking forward to those later years. Once I made it home after three months of working in the city, it really felt like it was time for another three months to enjoy summer without any responsibilities.

Even so, I have no regrets. It was worth every second, and not just because of my living location. The opportunity to gain real-world professional experience was unbeatable.

An internship forces you to learn so much in such a short amount of time, and it gives you the chance to build tons of new relationships and connections. And it’s something that never hurts to have on your resume, either.

Don’t get me wrong, though — interning had its downfalls, even while I was living the dream in fabulous New York.

Because of my position, I wasn’t really trusted with certain things, like directly interacting with clients, and I typically had to get approval for each task I was assigned.

A lot of boring projects were also passed down to me because they had to get done, but everyone else had their own work and clients to deal with.

You see some crazy things and crazy people in New York, too, and I quickly learned that after a certain time, it’s really not safe to be alone anywhere.

But you’re probably still wondering how I went from a dream to a reality, and I’m glad to give you every detail.

The first step was solidifying my job. This wasn’t hard, considering I was blessed enough to have an uncle who worked at a company with an office in Manhattan. All I really had to do was send my resume to some people, make some phone calls and sign some papers, and I was in. Yes, I know — I am the first to admit how lucky I was.

The next step was finding somewhere to live in one of the most expensive places in the country.

I did some research and found some student intern housing that was in close proximity to my new office.

Problem one: it was over $4,000. Problem two: the move-in date was May 29, and the move-out date was Aug. 6, but my internship started on May 16 and ended Aug. 12.

Long story short, I was able to get a $1,300 discount as a Pell Grant student, and I was able to pay a rate of $50 a night to move in two weeks earlier and move out one week later.

I was also lucky enough to have a dad who was very involved. His support meant I got some help, and he felt better about me moving across the country.

“Being part of the process let me know you were understanding of my parental position,” my dad said to me. “It showed maturity and gave me confidence that you knew what you were doing.”

My apartment looked exactly like a dorm — not ideal — and I had a complete stranger for a roommate. But it had A/C, was right next to the subway station, had a grocery store across the street and was right next to the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side, so I can’t complain.

Once I got settled into this new home, it was time to summon my inner Rachel Green and focus on my new big girl job.

Remember, I had no idea what to expect. I was going in without a marketing background or even a crash course, so it felt like I was starting from ground zero.

I do have to admit, however, that my very first day was exciting because of how new everything was. It’s crazy how unfamiliarity can be an amazing feeling and a horrible one at the same time.

My commute on the subway was extremely easy. I would take it one stop into Manhattan, and then get off and walk about two blocks, which is nothing in the city.

That first morning, being on the 2-3 train in my sunglasses, heels, pencil skirt and purse gave me so much confidence that I practically burst through the huge glass doors that led to my building on 29 Broadway.

My confidence didn’t last, though.

The first two days were filled with online trainings, and to be honest, the whole first week felt like a blur.

Nothing made sense — everyone was using terms I’d never heard of before. I was very overwhelmed, and I questioned if I would ever get to the point of fully understanding.

That’s the thing about being an intern: at first, you can feel very low and inferior to everyone around you, but with time, your brain explodes with knowledge, and you walk away knowing you wouldn’t have wanted to spend your time any other way.

Outside of work, I was still overwhelmed. Moving for an internship doesn’t just mean figuring out how to do your job; it also means navigating the area.

I knew there was so much to do in New York City — they call it “The City That Never Sleeps” for a reason — but I didn’t know where to start or how to use the subways, and I definitely didn’t have anyone to do anything with.

Eventually, I learned to make a list of everything I wanted to do, and I told myself to pick three things from the list to do each week. Making friends came naturally after I met people from my building.

Living in New York taught me that I love baseball. In the span of three months, I went to seven baseball games and never had a dull moment. So yes, I’m now a huge Yankees fan.

I also learned that I’m in love with Hugh Jackman. I have to say, “The Wolverine” didn’t do it for me, but seeing him live in “The Music Man” on Broadway blew me away.

Some of my other favorite moments include running the Brooklyn Bridge, having picnics in Central Park, taking a boxing class, eating 99 Cent Pizza, watching a movie in the park and running The Color Run.

Doing all of these fun things helped me realize internships away from home not only help you create lasting relationships with the people you work with, but they give you experiences outside of the office, too.

Experiencing cultures outside of Utah was beneficial as well, especially since the big city lifestyle is very different from what I’m used to.

Brennon Dahl, the other intern at my office, is also from Utah. He agreed and said the culture change was one of his favorite things.

“In Utah, I feel like there’s only one mold for your life. I think it’s interesting to see everyone else’s situation and how they live their life,” he said. “It opens your horizon, and it has been eye-opening.”

One guy I met was from London, England, and he taught me how to properly box. He would mimic my American accent and make fun of our “lame, basic and unoriginal American cheers” at baseball games.

I met one girl from Rhode Island who has a black belt and who has studied abroad three times. She also speaks fluent Arabic.

Another guy I met was originally born in Kenya but has lived in over a dozen countries. It was cool to learn about all the cultures he has witnessed. 

The perks of my internship don’t even end there. Utah State also offered me 15 credits for the internship, which was a huge bonus. This bonus honestly surprised me, considering I had never heard of USU promoting, supporting or helping students get internships before — which isn’t fully true, but I do think they could step up their game.

In the end, I came home with no regrets and tons of unforgettable memories.

And now you can take this as a sign to be an intern somewhere. I can’t promise it will be the greatest experience of your life like it was for me, but I hope if you’ve learned anything from my experience, it’s that internships can be so valuable, and that the experiences are priceless.

-Jacee.Caldwell@usu.edu