What do you think it would have been like, you know all of us sitting in the office working together this summer? A question the interns often find ourselves asking one another during our online meetings. We wonder if we would be more efficient working at desk next to each other or if our side chats would turn into endless hours of conversation. As questions pile up about how the internship would have been it’s evident these thoughts will have to continue to wander in our minds as we continue working from home under the same mission, values, and goals of our company. Despite the numerous what-if questions regarding how the internship, recent conversations with my CAPS mentors have left me pondering on my next step after graduation.

The next big what-if consists of making the decision for life post-undergrad and what will be the right decision. Though, what I have learned after talking to my mentors is that there are no right or wrong decisions I can make. The lesson is short and sweet but spoke volumes. There is no right or wrong decision any of us can make when it comes to our next step because we don’t have the ability to know whether the options we are deciding between are good or bad in that moment. We don’t have the power to know at the moment the outcome of our decisions, instead, years from now when you look back on the decisions made then you will be able to see if that was the right decision. Maybe it was not the right decision in the end but at the time it was and you only know that by unlearning the concept of right and wrong when it comes to deciding on two options in your life. One should decide on what they feel called to do in that current moment, instead of doing what feels most right, choosing an option that is honest and true to yourself will fulfill yourself at that moment. With that, I’m learning that we label our decisions good or bad based on our perspective of the situation after we have decided. I can’t decide on making plans post grad implying one of the options will be the wrong choice or that one is right. At the moment both decisions could be great but I should be deciding on what feels true to myself in order to better serve those around me.

It may seem like a minute discovery for some, that you don’t have the power in knowing whether you are making the right decision but when I finally understood this concept it was pretty monumental.

Hope you’re staying happy & healthy,

Ashley

I’m beginning the third week of my internship at BallotReady, yet I have still not perfected the art of a flawless Zoom call. “Can you hear me?” “Is my microphone on?” “Ah, thank you for letting me know.” Just a few examples of the common phrases I notice myself saying daily when hopping on and off of meetings. But hey, I’m learning and I’m learning more than how to navigate an internship remotely, I’m being educated on the mission of BallotReady and pursuit to educate voters on their ballot to have politicians that represent them and their community. The heart of BallotReady beats on the voter first mentality and knowing our actions matter in a larger system to make sure the voter is informed and have their voice be heard. Each day of my internship I have been enlightened in some way or another and I want to share the beginning of my journey learning as an intern with you. Whether it’s from onboarding sessions, daily check-in calls with my intern team, or the CAPS reflect-in meetings these past three weeks have been bursting with conversations, thoughts, and lessons.

Silence doesn’t mean I have nothing to say… I’m thinking. This first lesson is actually from the second CAPS reflect-in and I’m grateful to have heard these words as I have interpreted the awkward silence in meetings as no one wanting to talk. Especially, speaking on behalf of myself my silence was me not wanting to speak up but simply trying to think about the subject matter and articulate my thoughts to prepare myself to speak. I think we seem to forget the times when meetings were not over video, we had time to brainstorm with one another and sit in the silence until someone had a comment, question, or thought to share at the table. Compared to the fast-paced automatic responses we expect over Zoom meetings when truly sitting in that silence allowing one another to gather our thoughts is normal, it means we want to make our words intentional and impactful, making the conversation more robust rather than just speaking to simply fill the silence lingering over the call. So, I’m learning to enjoy the silence and realize it’s the sound of us thinking.

Cross that off your checklist! The BallotReady intern team read an article from The New Yorker, “The Checklist” written by Atual Gawande to exemplify the order and efficiency a checklist can bring to a daily routine. The article shared stories from intensive care units using checklists to save lives and if one step was missed the whole process would have been off and the outcomes could have been different. A checklist is needed to stay organized, keep track of your progress, and keep yourself accountable for what needs to get done. Furthermore, the checklist exemplifies the small pieces of the puzzle you need to do in order to complete it. BallotReady values excellence in the work we do and produce for our customers and if something as simple as keeping an effective checklist boosts productivity and work ethic, I will implement it in my daily routine.

Breaking the ice, virtual icebreakers are essential. Hi, my name is Ashley! I go to Valparaiso University and I can’t swim. First, I need to find a better fun fact. But listening to the introductions, daily questions, and games that may seem silly over Zoom are essential to form a sense of community and connection in a remote workspace. I look forward to getting to learn more about those I work with, the small side messages or video chats validate we are all working on these projects together, we all share similar passions and interests. We should be taking the time to acknowledge one another and converse while we work to continue building a community.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I have so many more thoughts and ideas that fill my mind as I have started this internship. I’m beyond thankful to be working for BallotReady and to be connecting the dots of my future plans. Stay tuned for the next blog post… I’ll dive more into that.

Stay safe, happy, and healthy

Ashley