Normalcy seems to be on the horizon after a year and a half of hysteria and madness. I started the pandemic as a senior in high school and I didn’t think I would have been able to navigate it as well as I have. It hasn’t been easy but the virtual consequence of school, work, and internships has taught me a lot about myself.
First and foremost, I do not think I would be willing to do another virtual internship again. I am a firm believer that passion, motivation, and pure euphoria happens when you’re in a physical work setting surrounded by others. The best part of this internship was doing in-takes, which is where I would call clients or witness their Zoom meetings with an attorney.
Secondly, I have learned that passion is what gets you up in the morning, not accolades or money. As a first generation student at Duke, I have been focusing on what career path could secure me with the best possible future financially. I have learned that I want a career that feels like a hobby. I want to wake up every morning ready and willing to tackle whatever challenge thrown at me because I love what I do. Learning that my supervisors have hundreds of cases at once, have early mornings and late nights, but still love what they do was inspirational to me.
I have been trying to find positivity in each thing in my life. Though the pandemic has been nothing to be thankful about, I’m thankful that I was able to learn about myself, how I learn, and how I’m motivated. I’m even more thankful that the end of this pandemic is near.