By Alexandra Shope
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Summers in college aren’t quite as relaxing as they used to be growing up. There’s a lot more to think about and prepare for – saving for post-grad life, internships, etc. Around the start of my junior year I started to realize just how little time I had left before graduation. Kode with Klossy was an invaluable experience my freshman and sophomore summers, but I knew I needed something more fine-tuned to my major, Data Science. My dad and I talked about a lot of internship opportunities, and I remember telling him that I needed to love whatever internship I did, because I didn’t want to begin my career hating it from the start.
Throughout my college experience I found myself, as most 20-somethings do, struggling to figure out what I truly wanted to do—what I was passionate about. I knew I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone, and that’s exactly how I started my junior year. I chose to study abroad for a semester in London, completely on my own. I didn’t know anyone in my program beforehand, and, for someone who goes home at least once a week, this was a huge step for me. My experience abroad taught me SO much. I made the most amazing, inspiring and encouraging group of friends that truly helped me to understand so much about myself that I never knew. That Christmas, when I got back from abroad, I was spending time with my family when someone posed this question: “If you could do any career, regardless of talent, education or money, what would it be?” After I thought about it a little, my answer was “either film production or interior design.”
While it was fun to think about, it was almost a little discouraging because it seemed like such an impossibility. Quite frankly it had nothing to do with what I had spent the last three years studying. Regardless, I started to read a little bit more about film production and watch some behind the scenes “making a movie” videos online.
As my junior year was coming to an end, I realized that I needed to take some summer classes to make up for my time abroad in order to graduate on time. This made the process of searching for an internship even more difficult and daunting than it already was. I was starting to accept defeat, when an internship opportunity was sent out by a professor in the Computer Science department with the tag line “undergraduate research in Data Science and Learning Movie Styles.” This immediately caught my attention, but I felt extremely nervous about it. I was excited about the possibility of combining my major with my own personal interests (something I didn’t even know was possible!), but I was nervous about being unqualified or rejected. I asked my friends what they thought about it, and every single one of them encouraged me to at least reach out to learn more about the opportunity, if not apply right away. After an encouraging text from one of my best friends I met abroad, I decided to apply – even though it was out of my comfort zone.
To my excitement, I got the internship! After the initial excitement wore off, however, a new set of nerves kicked in – what if I don’t know what I’m doing? What if I do a bad job? Again I looked to the people around me for encouragement to help me through it, and it turned out to be the best internship I could have asked for. To be able to apply my studies as a STEM major to an art topic is something I feel very excited about and grateful for, as it helped not only to revive my interest in Data Science and its countless opportunities, but to encourage new growth in my interest in film. I worked with an incredibly patient and helpful professor at College of Charleston, Dr. Bares, and it was the perfect environment for me to take the first steps towards my future career.
Reaching out of your comfort zone is scary, but it is absolutely necessary in the pursuit of growth, whether that be personal or professional. Don’t let feeling under-qualified ever stop you from pursuing your interests. Use it as an opportunity to grow. One of the best things you can do for yourself, and for a future employer, is be willing and open to learn. And at every opportunity, always be the person who encourages others.
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