By: Ermina, Riley’s Way Intern & Council Alumna

Hello! It’s Ermina. I was an intern for Riley’s Way during the summer and fall of 2021. Before that, I was a Bronx Council member, which included TYWLS Bronx and Horace Mann. As this semester ends, I wanted to reflect on my experience working with Riley’s Way, and long story short, I’ve changed! In the best way possible! Thus, here are 10 things I’ve learned while interning here at Riley’s Way:

1. Believe in yourself.

2. Be bold!

3. It is okay to ask many questions.

4. Prioritize your mental health.

5. Kindness should never be expected from others.

6. Persevere through every challenge.

7. Expect the unexpected.

8. Be open to failure.

9. Communication is key.

10. It is never too late to ask for help.

You see, I just started college, and balancing a work schedule with home life was definitely hard at first. This internship required you to be dedicated to the projects you worked on, so there was sometimes an issue of conflict doing my school work vs. the internship work. However, Riley’s Way has given me the space to voice my needs and wants. There were some days where I focused on school while other days I focused on Riley’s Way.

There are definitely more things I’ve learned from this internship, but it’ll take up too much space! Regardless, this was definitely a memorable experience as I was able to transform and grow in such a small time span. As Lauren has told me before, this is not a goodbye as “you never graduate from Riley’s Way”. Now, I am more confident and more aware of my priorities.