How might students perceive my experience?  

The students, more often than not, view me as someone they can turn to with questions or advice. I appreciate this because this tells me they can trust me to understand and possibly help them. Contrary to that, I oftentimes feel like I do not have all the answers. Anytime I feel like I am catching on, someone asks me a question I do not have the answer to. My response to them when this happens is, "Well I guess this is a learning opportunity!" They recognize me as an intern, but they also recognize me as a supervisor. 

How might faculty/staff interpret my experience?

 Generally asking around the office, some of the pro-staff responded by saying I am a "rookie." They are aware I am here to learn and gain new experiences in the world of higher education. They are also aware this is my first time working for university housing and came in with little to no prior knowledge. This made my direct supervisor excited, stating that a great way for me to learn is through interactions with the professional staff and student staff members. 

What do existing theories or research tell me about my experience? 

I would say the theory that most applied to my experience at UAF so far would be the Transition Theory. I remember having feelings of anticipation and trying to prepare myself for the upcoming change of scenery for the summer. Additionally, during my transition phase, I was navigating the differences between UAF and GVSU. At GVSU, I worked in the Office of Student Life assisting with registered student organizations. At UAF, I am the Summer Guest Housing Intern, which is a relatively big shift in positions and responsibilities. But now, after working in my position for a month, I feel familiar with the office lingo and expectations. 

How do my values, experiences, and preferences affect how I interpret my experience? 

I am a person who approaches things with an open mind and allow myself the leniency I think I deserve when working and living in a new environment. I know no one expects to know everything immediately, but I also know they expect me to start catching on after a week or two. UAF summer housing moves with some urgency, but in another sense, they are also very relaxed and tackle each problem one at a time. I have never felt overwhelmed because everyone here has patience. My supervisor tasked me with writing the Student Staff Summer Housing Handbook so that I would be forced to learn their policies and expectations through conversing with people in the office. I feel like by the time I leave I will be a confident leader for the student staff. 

Tentative Conclusions

As the summer guest housing intern at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, I have gained valuable experience in managing short-term accommodations in the university setting. It highlights the importance of communication and organization within the housing department. I consider myself to be a highly adaptable person and this life skill has certainly come in handy both at my internship and in Alaska. However, I lack initiative on projects because I feel I do not know enough to be taking charge of situations.  

Further Actions Needed

To further enhance my summer internship, I need to start taking more initiative on projects. I need to trust that whatever I am heading up won't burn the university to the ground, only the wildfires can do that. When I have moments that are less busy, I should also be taking the initiative to further expand my knowledge on guest housing at UAF.