Around campus I have heard it said that we are not really students, we are “mini professionals.” When I joined the university this year, I embraced this culture of mini professionalism and I undertook an on campus internship within the first month.

During the Fall Career Fair I met Tracy Lavin, the Director of NYUAD Community Relations. Within a week of meeting her, I started working by her side. My on-campus internship has been really special because Tracy ensures that I am thoroughly supported in my role. The close-knit working environment at Community Relations is a rarity outside a university campus. Working as an intern with Tracy has given me professional skills and many other opportunities I would otherwise would not have.

From day one of my internship, I was thrown into the deep end, and Tracy gave me a lot of responsibilities. But if I am ever struggling, she is always willing to help. My role is to research people and companies in Abu Dhabi, and then find a way to meet them, be that through someone at NYUAD or just by cold calling a company.

The first time I had to call a company I had no clue what to say or ask for, and so I looked over at Tracy, panic in my eyes, and she immediately knew I needed help. So Tracy asked me what was up, then she told me the fundamentals of calling and did the cold call for me on speakerphone. After hearing what Tracy had said, it was easy to pick up the phone, rattle off a few lines, and quickly make a friend. Later in my internship, Tracy would sometimes come to me with a problem, and other times we would just vent to each other about sticky professional situations. The office was not just a place for work, but a place to share and grow.

An amazing part of my internship has been giving back to the NYUAD community and getting to know the people who work behind the scenes to make our institution great. Every day I am connecting via email with colleagues or running into them during company meetings. Through this day-to-day contact I learn how things work at NYUAD and all the tireless hours that go into making sure things run smoothly. One of the most rewarding things about my internship has been creating contacts for NYUAD with numerous companies across Abu Dhabi to grow our internship and research opportunities.

As my freshman year wraps up, it’s time to look to my professional future, and my internship has not only given me experience to bank on, but also a wealth of contacts for other roles. Tracy has been really appreciative of my hard work, and knows I have to move on eventually, so she has been helping me find companies and projects to work with next year.

Because of my meetings and communications with companies in Abu Dhabi, people in the community know my name, and I now have lots of friends outside the university to find new roles. Without the prior experience of an on-campus internship, I may have been stuck in a dead-end role that may have left me diffident or lost. Thanks to Tracy and the introductory support I had from NYUAD, I am now confident enough in my knowledge and connections to go out into Abu Dhabi and take anything a new internship can throw at me.