My name is Camryn and I am a 3rd-year student at The Ohio State University and the marketing and social media intern at WISH in Washington DC. I have had three different declared majors throughout my college career, ranging from science to business, but I ended up deciding Fashion Retail Studies was my undergrad degree. I once heard someone say, “It doesn’t really matter what your degree is, as long as you have one, you’ll be fine.” Therefore, I ran with that idea and picked the most enjoyable major I could think of.
Before October of 2019, I never thought about Washington D.C. unless people were talking about their eighth-grade trips or their future political careers. I knew I wanted to live and work in a big city and had considered Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, or New York, but never the country’s capital. In October, I was in the middle of my fourth consecutive semester of college and was starting to realize school was wearing me out. I needed a break from school and an internship seemed to be a great way to take a break without wasting time. I went to my school’s career fair and met with several companies (one of them being WISH) and was even asked to do interviews. Marketing and sales jobs seemed to be the most attainable with my experience, so that is what I applied for.
I interviewed with WISH in early October for an event planning and social media internship position. When interviewing, I was aware that WISH was in Washington D.C. and I would have to leave Columbus, but I figured I had a slim chance of getting it, and I’d figure it out later. I followed up a week after the interview and was told they were still deciding, so after a couple of weeks went by without hearing anything from WISH, I assumed I wasn’t chosen for the position. I was disappointed but I moved on and kept looking for other opportunities. On December 3rd, I was searching through my spam to find an invoice and I found an email from November 8th. The email was from WISH offering me the internship opportunity. I was so embarrassed about not responding to the email and missing an awesome opportunity, but I emailed back asking if they were still looking to fill the position and they were. It was a miracle. It was quite the scramble to get my life together in a short amount of time and make the move to DC, but somehow, I managed it.
Once it set in that I was going to be leaving my home, roommates, friends, and everything I am used to, I was scared. I hadn’t been to DC since I was ten years old and I was very unfamiliar with the city. After I finally got to DC, my mindset changed. I wasn’t scared anymore, I didn’t regret making the decision, I was excited. Having the opportunity to explore a new city, live on your own schedule, and focus on yourself feels amazing. I have met so many people since I arrived, and they have already made an impact on my life. My roommates are awesome and so are the people I work with. This is the start of my career and I can be anyone I want to be and do anything that I want to do.
On my first day off, I decided I would learn how to use the Metro and venture to Dupont Circle. It didn’t go very well because I couldn’t exit the Metro station after I arrived at DuPont circle. It turned out that I never scanned my card to enter the Metro in the first place. After embarrassing myself on the Metro, I explored the city on foot. I was able to see the White House and all the amazing architecture that makes up DC.
Long story short, I never intended to live in Washington D.C. during my life and I almost missed the opportunity to, but I am extremely glad I have the chance to be here. I am loving every minute of my WISH internship experience because I am making it what I want it to be!
If you are considering an internship in DC, I would suggest that you bring your walking shoes and best suit. You never know who you’re going to meet here in DC. I have only been here for three weeks and have met several Congressmen and women and other honorable figures. If you like to learn and meet new people, you will love living in Washington D.C. I also recommend staying with WISH because all their properties are close to the metro and safe. WISH has a new and updated website that will tell you more about the wonderful services they offer. No matter where you stay, or what you do, if you’re in DC, you will have the experience to remember. Good luck with your internship search and in your future internships.