What are your overall thoughts on your internship experience as it comes to a close? How do you feel you have been affected overall by the experience in its entirety?
The internship experience is something that I do not think I will ever forget. It was a wild 2 years with you Simon. Er, Reverend Simon now I guess haha. From last year when you had no idea what to do vs. this year where you laid down the hammer the last couple of days before we are free from the internship program. As the week started, I felt a bit bittersweet. I will not be able to find another job anything like this ever again. I am also blessed that this opportunity arose last year when it did. I was really contemplating my job as a credit card salesman and I prayed to God asking for relief at this job. God answered my prayer very quickly, literally one day later I was reading the Sunday brochure and sure enough I see the job post in the announcements section. Obviously that was also the same day that we would have the College BBQ and the due date of the application. I wrote the application right after the BBQ and I’m glad I got it in on time because here we are 2 years later and a lot of growing done.
I have been affected by this experience because I was worried that I chose the wrong program for school. I had just finished 2nd year and I was conflicted with my life decisions. With these 2 long years, I have gained clarity; I have gained sight. I can see that I have chosen the proper program and I know what I want to do with my life. I did not have these kinds of things 2 years ago. This internship has shaped the Truth in my life. It is still shaping my thoughts and hopes with every minute I write this reflection. I figured out how to create a website page, a post and even how to gain the target market’s attention.
– Joshua Chung
Overall, I’m so incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity once again to do this internship, because it has been such a valuable experience. I was able to spend a lot of time with my best friends, we were able to go away for missions, we did so much meaningful bible study and reflection, and it was overall just such a good summer, and so many memories were made. I think I’ll really miss this summer as it comes to an end, and I’ve been affected in more ways than I can count. On a personal level, I think I was able to grow a lot on my own journey of self-discovery, and I think I learned how to be a better friend as well which I’ll always hold close to my heart. Also, I’m glad I got to go to Montreal and get a small taste of how many people are struggling in a city that seems so affluent. It opened my eyes to how much need there is in the world, and it broke, yet filled my heart to see how many people were suffering, but also to see how many people are willing to help them.
– Jocelyn Chung
My overall thoughts on this internship experience is that it has been an actual roller coaster. Like I’m someone who has a fear of roller coasters so when I go to wonderland I can only go on the baby rides like the teacups, but I feel like this summer for 4 months I took a one ticket ride to a never ending roller coaster ride. I feel like when I look back at this summer and internship is was just full of a bunch of different emotions, both happy, sad, anxious, literally just everything. There were times where I would just laugh and be happy the whole day and then there would be days where I wouldn’t be in the greatest mood and I would be running around the whole church stressed and in a crazy mood. But, I’ve experienced and gone through things that I would have never imagined Monica Park to go through. Like if you asked my three years ago when I first came to this church, if I would see myself go on a mission trip to Saskatchewan, I would call you crazy. But, somehow that’s what I did this summer, I went on a mission trip, I planned an ESM retreat and became a group leader for a group of adults, and I read through like two stories in the bible. Crazy i know, but through all of that, through this internship was what allowed me to grow as a person. From fetus Monica entering into this internship all happy and lighthearted to Monica Park now who has deep thoughts and knows how to dig a little bit deeper. Though at times I felt I was affected in a more not so good way, like the whole I had to go on a mission trip and it made me get into conflict with my father, but as a whole, it had more of a positive impact on me.
– Monica Park
It’s really weird. We’ve been doing this for four months and we’ve done so many different things. The beginning of the internship seems like ages ago. I’ve learned so much through this experience. After doing all those studies and reflections, I feel as though I have so much more understanding of faith. I understand my roots, I understand what I want my faith to look like, I understand the stage I am at now. I went through a lot of questions and a lot of confusion, but I think after digesting everything, I’ve come to a place where I am comfortable going into the new school year.
– Sarah Choe
This whole internship has been a very fun and fruitful experience. I’m glad I got to work with close friends, and create a better faith. This summer has gone by a lot faster than I expected it to, but I will cherish all the moments. Like the time we stayed until 12pm to finish all the work:) I’m actually glad we had to stay, like you said, it was a bonding experience. It’s kind of bittersweet that it’s ending. I’m sad because it’s over, but happy that I got to spend almost everyday with my close friends. This whole summer has been a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts. I’ve had some time to think about myself and my life, and think about my own faith. I’ve realized that I’ve become closer with God, and that I’m ready to take action on my faith.
– April Chia
It’s a great experience, time flies so damn fast when you’re having this much fun while being productive. The internship is a fantastic opportunity to do good work for a community as special as St. Tims and to work with people who you’ve known for so long. My experience has been great, it’s been such an amazing 4 months, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
I have been shaped by the internship, I have grown, learned and experienced a lot that I feel will only turn me into a better man. My thinking, problem solving and reflection skills have changed so much, I have been so positively affected by this internship. It truly feels like a magical time when I work here, everything is just perfect.
– Joel Chung
I am so sad, words can’t express how much fun and laughter this internship has brought me, yet I am happy it comes close to the end too, I have no idea how my interactions with my friends will be like now, will it be surface level with most people like it was before? Or have we obtained some sort of new friendship that will grow? What is going to be the next step for me? I have overcome my sadness of purpose, and am ready for life’s challenges. Even just these things, wondering about how I will interact with these people, and wondering what’s my next step in life, has given me excitement that I haven’t had for so long. The excitement of tomorrow that this job has given me throughout the whole summer has made me so aware and awake, I feel, even as cliche as it is to say, that my eyes are truly open, it feels like a different world, almost as though more colour has been added to it, the more I question and wonder, the bigger my world expands, and I could never have asked for anything like this, I truly am so glad that I came to work as an intern here at St.Tims.
– Torrance Yoon
I feel bittersweet about our internship’s end. I’m happy that this long journey is coming to an end, and that a new chapter of our lives will begin after this summer. But, I’m also sad that we won’t be together, working everyday at church. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to be part of this internship! It’s been a rollercoaster ride waking up for work in the mornings, and commuting, and then working most days until 5. We’ve had the privilege of working with our friends in a place that feels like a second home. I’ve experienced so many things, enjoyed serving and loved every moment that I could help around the church. Through it all, I’ve learned so much about myself, about the other interns, and most importantly, about God. It’s been an eye-opening, reflection-intense and reflection-heavy summer. Through all the reflections, the Word has come alive and I’ve been able to connect it back to my life and the things that I’ve been going through. So, thank you Simon for allowing me to be part of this! Thank you for leading us, answering when we had questions about our faith, and preparing us to become more authentic versions of ourselves. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to find/clarify my calling in life, and I’ve figured out what lies deepest in my heart. I will definitely miss all the reflection and memories we created. And I will cherish this summer forever!
– Lauren Lee
Honestly, I’m a little sad that this internship is coming to a close. Of course I am very much drained and am excited to recuperate for whatever remainder of summer I have before school begins again, but I am honestly going to miss it in some ways. Overall thoughts would be that it was tough and stressful in so many ways, but it was also fun in so many more ways and I am so thankful to have been a part of this. I feel like I have been affected in so many ways from my faith and relationship with God, to the relationships that I have with others. All of this has been changed and I feel like this summer has truly been a light on my life and revealed a lot about myself in a way that I’m not sure anything else could have done quite as impactful. So overall, I’m just so thankful.
– Elisabeth Jong
While at times, I may have been frustrated with the internship, I think it definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone in many ways. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I think I was able to learn a lot more about myself and my tendencies. And while I may have known these before, they were more in the back of my head and it is different to actually acknowledge them. Now that I know more about myself, I can work on ways to improve myself and get rid of some of the parts about me that I do not like about myself. One of these things that I have noticed is that when I am really passionate about something, I will put in a lot of work and strive for excellence, but when I am not really passionate about doing something, most of the time I will half-ass it or not do my best.
Overall, I am very grateful that I was able to have this experience, rather than working at some job at McDonalds or something. If I was on my own, I would never have imagined reflecting so much in these past 4 months and learned so much.
– Paul Jang
My overall thoughts on the internship experience was great, it wasn’t just a job to make money to an opportunity to explore ourselves and learn more about others. This internship has taught me some valuable history and philosophy [St Paul] that has improved my thoughts on what the faith community is. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to work with great people in a faithful environment.
– Joie
I think overall, I really liked the internship experience. During each moment, there were many times when I thought, “gosh maybe I regret doing this internship?”. I think I asked that question to myself kind of pretty often (especially when I had to get up so early in the morning). But looking back at the period I worked for the church, I do not regret any moment at all. Each difficulty and conflict I faced over the past two months, I think were very good for me in terms of learning, and growing as a person. Because of the conflicts I had between people, I have learnt that being honest with them is the best, and how to become a stronger person myself. Looking at the experience as an overall, I can see that it has affected me for the good, allowing me to be more aware of my surroundings and environment in terms of general work, and spiritually. I feel like it has also allowed me to become closer to God, as I sort of understand where he is coming from now, whereas before, I sort of knew things about him but did not actually know the source/concept of the things.
– Hannah Lee
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