“The only consistent thing in this world is the presence of change.” My three years at Valpo have demonstrated the truth in this adage, which happens to be one of my grandfather’s favorites. I have seen how each new semester brings with it a host of changes: I encounter new concepts, new people, new experiences. Although I am grateful for the variety of each semester, I often find myself getting used to the pattern of change in college life. However, I’ll occasionally encounter an experience that I know from the beginning will alter me as a person in a major way. This summer, that experience was my CAPS internship at The Bridge Teen Center.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from an internship, having never done one before, but I was looking forward to working as a Media and Program Intern at The Bridge. I love photography and in the course of studying for my Digital Media minor I had become interested in brand marketing. I knew the Media Intern position would be perfect for me because I would get to photograph Bridge students during the weekly programs and use those photos to tell The Bridge’s story on social media. On top of that, as a Program Intern, I would get to participate in putting on the programs. After the first couple of days of my time at The Bridge, I realized that this internship was going to be far more fun, interesting, and educational than I could have imagined. 

I’m enjoying this internship because it’s given me the opportunity to come out of my shell as a portrait photographer. I’ve never really been comfortable photographing people, unless I’m taking pictures of family (as an introvert, I’ve preferred to photograph landscapes or glassware). Now that I am photographing at The Bridge, I have the motivation to get over this personal hump. With social media deadlines that need to be met, there’s no time to put off taking photos of the students. While long-distance photos that encompass the whole room are nice, it is the close-up portraits of happy students participating in the program that generate positive engagement on social media. To get such photos, I have to directly approach each student and ask them if I can take a picture of them. Although I still sometimes get apprehensive when I ask students for a photograph, I am now much more comfortable with doing so than I was at the beginning of the internship. I didn’t initially expect this to be an outcome of the internship, but I am nonetheless grateful to have had this opportunity to develop into a more confident artist and person.

I have also enjoyed working as a Program Intern because actively working with the students reminds me of the reasons I chose to take this internship. Whether I’m helping out with a hangout program in the game room or when I’m leading a garden program, I always see the students forging connections with one another or cultivating old friendships. It is easy for me to get caught up in the world of program recap posts on Instagram or sponsorship shoutouts on Facebook, but actively working with students as a Program Intern reminds me of what this is all about: providing a safe place where students can engage with others and develop as individuals. I feel that I am truly getting the best of both worlds when it comes to interning at The Bridge.

In short, my internship at The Bridge has been amazing so far. I have the chance to work alongside a staff of truly stellar individuals, I get to work with some really awesome students, and I get to engage with my interests of photography and brand marketing. I can’t really express just how grateful I am to be able to participate in such an amazing community.

– Philip Bolton, The Bridge Teen Center