Lilia Patricia Cornelio's WYAAP Internship Experience

Summer.

It’s the time when boys and girls frolic under the sun. The beach is there just waiting for you to take a dip, the wind is gently combing your hair, friends are waiting for you to go on an adventure road trip, ice creams are dripping down on children’s fingers and I am just ready to kick off my shoes and unwind on my comfortable bed away from everyone and everything else. Then, after a few weeks or so, it goes downhill. Pleasure island is infested with rats of boredom after all. You feel the sun’s heat becoming too harsh with global warming, the beach trip that you’ve been waiting for has been brutally cancelled, the wind suddenly spits dust in your eyes, your road trip friends are not available after all, your favorite ice cream is now too expensive because of the recent recession, and suddenly lying down on even the most comfortable bed is an extremely trying task because of the construction that’s going on in your bathroom. The only way to cope with this is to get a task done. I had to apply for an internship for one of my majors. This is not just for the gratification of my bored soul, but also to boost up my resume to help me compete in the cruel world of job searching in the very near future.

I honestly didn't know what to apply for. I have no real lasting interest in anything and any kind of job would have been good enough for me. It was fortunate for me, therefore, to be able to talk to several EU Studies alumni and ask for their advice. One of them suggested that I should try to apply for World Youth Alliance. These same alumni have asked me to become a member of the organization before and I signed the charter but I wasn't active. I thought to myself that maybe this was the time for me to become an active member and so I decided to send in my application form and resume.

I was happy that I got in knowing that there were many students, like in any kind of internship application, that I was in competition with.

I could remember my first day very well. I was so nervous because it was my first time to be in that kind of situation. I was comforted that I didn't apply for the cutthroat corporate world and that I found myself in a small, homey office with five other interns of my age group and only three supervisors.

I was very happy to be working in a very casual and relax atmosphere that is far removed from the usual corporate shark pool. I could do what my internship entailed me without too much pressure. I also liked the fact that I became friends with the people I was working with. But, what I like most about working in WYA is that they also trained their interns to know the history of the organization and what it stands for.

I know for a fact that this usually doesn't happen in other corporations or organizations. Most likely, in those kinds of companies they merely give you clerical assignments that turns you into a managerial robot. You don't gain a passion for what you're working for because you have no means of gaining the knowledge about the company you work for. In my opinion, this practice is not sustainable and it only creates mechanized workers without a hint of creative thought in their head. I am glad that as an intern I had the opportunity to have a moment to think of who I was working for and what I am working with.

With my fellow interns, from L to R: Andrea, April, Josh, yours Truly, Pat and Dawn.

Learning about human rights and focusing on a daily basis on specific issues that continues to plague the marginalized such as AIDS/HIV, cloning, population growth, urban development, to name a few, has given me a broader environment that cultivates on thinking and discernment. I was glad that I was able to share my ideas to my fellow interns and that their ideas were also shared to me. It was like being in a classroom minus the boring lectures.

I enjoyed doing a lot of things during my internship period at WYA. The Dignity Projects were a blast. I was afraid to share my interests to others at first, but with them being receptive to it was a welcome relief. Assisting in project management has also given me a wide range of experience. I learned how to contact people and make appointments with them. I learned how to assist and to give support. I also think that I did a terrific job at being patient with Razor's Edge even though I wanted to smash the laptop when I couldn't find the place where I ended the day before and have to repeat the process all over again.

Even though I spent my whole summer cooped up in the office, I thought that it was one of the best summers I've ever had. The experience of working for WYA was well worth it. I was glad and thankful to have been accepted and I hope that I could work for them all over again.

Lilia Patricia T. Cornelio
WYAAP Intern April-June 2009