The Beginning of an End

Manhattan Village Mall renovation proposal

With the summer quickly coming to an end, I am mind-blown at how fast it has gone by. I have had one of the best experiences of my life, and I have developed into a better leader than I was at the beginning of the summer. Although I have had other internship opportunities in the past, I have learned the most from this experience. I feel that the main reason on why I have gained more from Mixagogo than any of the others is because I had a mentor. My supervisor, Joanne, gave me guidance, focus, and direction while working for Mixagogo, and I must say, those aspects was crucial to helping me stay motivated throughout the summer. Along with having a great mentor, the Mixagogo experience was more outstanding than the others because I was out of my comfort zone. Moving to another state for months at a time is a big culture shock, to me at least, and a great way to develop as a professional or person in general.

A mixer held at Uncorked, a popular wine store in Hermosa Beach, CA 

My supervisor fascinated by the ukulele player

At the beginning of my summer, I was doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work, but as the summer moved forward, I started gaining more experience with social networking up-front and in person. I was able to expand and meet so many new people throughout the multiple networking events that I attended. One of the aspects that was most intriguing to me were the stories and backgrounds that I heard from the professionals I met throughout my time at Mixagogo. Everyone seemed to have so many exciting adventures leading up to their successes in the present day. I must admit, I wouldn't have met as
many people as I did without having Joanne introduce me to as many people as she could. I really wouldn't have had as good of an experience if it weren't for her. Not only did this internship allow me to practice sales and gain experience, but I was also able to work in the areas of marketing and operations. With the opportunity to explore these other areas, I found a love for marketing. I always thought I would have gone into sales for a career, but I found that marketing not only offers the same type of work, it allows for more creativity in the workplace. Throughout my college career, I have been trying to find the right career path for me and I have always wanted to use more creativity when it comes to being in a professional environment. Working through the marketing department for Mixagogo has proven to me that marketing is the career path that I want. I was able to create video commercials, advertisements to insert into e-mails and on the web page, and meet new people, all at the same time.

In the end, I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to experience something out of the ordinary and better my self as a leader throughout the last 2 months. I was able to work in many different areas and gain a larger network of individuals that are willing to help me with whatever it is I may need now or in the future.  I have also found a career path that has helped me gain direction as to where I want to go, and permanently moving to California may be the first step in the start of the next chapter of my life.