Meet Sydney H.

“Starting this position in the middle of a pandemic wasn’t really what I had envisioned. I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t enjoy being able to go to work wearing pajama pants, but I do miss the day-to-day interactions with strangers and the connections I would have had with people if I was working in an office everyday. Even though my favorite part of my internship so far has been doing Information Interviews, and meeting new colleagues virtually, Zoom and Google Meet video chats get tiring! Plus, my ever-so tempting bed is just upstairs, and my at-home coworker (pictured with me here) is entirely unhelpful.

However just being a part of something with a regular schedule has given me motivation to do things like get out of bed before noon and not play Animal Crossing all day. Making myself keep to a schedule has been a very healthy way to stay motivated. I have also learned to not focus so much on how productive I can be right now, as this is not a normal time! Each day I try to take a moment to let myself relax. I go for a walk, maybe even make the drive to go to the River Valley, which has been a place of solace and community for me, even with social distancing. Doing that helps me to clear my head and refocus myself for the work day. It makes me more engaged in my work, ready to apply different concepts and learn new things.

Working as the Communications and Program Support Intern already feels very rewarding, even after only a few weeks, and I cannot wait to find out what the rest of this work term will bring!" 

Sydney is a fourth year English student beginning her year as the new Arts Work Experience Communications and Program Support Intern in the Faculty of Arts.