By Terri Lynn Lomax
For those of you who don’t know, ACUHO-I is the Association of College and University Housing Officers- International. According to their website, ACUHO-I “is the preeminent professional association that supports and promotes the collegiate residential experience.” ACUHO-I offers an abundance of opportunities for students and professionals seeking careers in campus housing. From annual conferences, professional development opportunities, internships and housing related events and programs, ACUHO-I is a great resource for networking and professional development.
If you’re interested in university housing and residence life, ACUHO-I is an organization that you want to familiarize yourself with.
Click here for the ACUHO-I website: http://www.acuho-i.org/?tabid=125
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the University of South Florida (USF), an ACUHO-I host site. My summer internship experience at USF had a profound impact on my life. I worked as a supervisor over 4 undergraduate staff members and co-supervisor over 5 undergraduate staff members in the Housing and Residential Education Department.
My duties encompassed a variety of tasks ranging from creating, developing and facilitating staff training, collaborating with various departments to ensure smooth and efficient building turnarounds for camps and conferences and organizing space reservations and set-up needs for incoming conferences. From the professional relationships developed, to the personal and professional development opportunities afforded by USF, my life has changed for the better. Below is a list of 3 factors that made my experience at USF significant although there were countless that would draw out this blog post!
1.My Welcome- Before I even stepped foot on USF’s campus (a month prior to my arrival to be exact) I had received a welcome package from my summer supervisor, April Sager. Enclosed were a host of resources that helped familiarize me with the Tampa Bay area along with some good ole’ USF branded goodies and a beautiful handwritten welcome note from my summer staff.
The USF welcoming experience didn’t end there. Upon my arrival I was impressed AGAIN. From the welcome banner, the goody bag, the door tags, the emails from individuals in the department, to an array of other intricately orchestrated tasks, I learned that USF sure knows how to welcome an intern.
Welcoming a staff member properly is conducive to smooth transitioning and ease for all parties involved.
2. My Supervisor- Throughout my internship April did a fantastic job making my experience worthwhile by meeting with me a few times out of the week to learn about my goals and identify opportunities for growth. Subsequently, she used my goals as a guide to stretch me outside of my comfort zone by providing me with a variety of challenging assignments. P.S. April showed a genuine interest in my blog and gave me suggestions and input. How cool!
Another aspect that I am forever grateful for is the fact that April laid a strong foundation for me and my reputation. She acted as a liaison between me and my future staff by establishing my expertise and credibility. When introducing me to my staff she shared with them her confidence in me and referred to my related experience which promoted respect across the board.
Having a strong and supportive supervisor who can vouch for your character and credibility is essential to establishing a healthy working relationship with your new staff.
3. The People- The people behind the institution are the ones that really make or break an experience, and must I say, the people that I had the opportunity to meet at USF were AWESOME! The Dean of Housing and Residence Life reached out to me via email inviting me to lunch to discuss my career goals and future plans. Amazing right? My staff, the housekeepers, the facilities workers and even those working in the dining halls all made a lasting impression on me and the thoughts that come to mind when I think of the University of South Florida.
Internship Pictures:
July 4th- Staff outing in Lakeland, FL
Staff Training. Olympic themed!
See, I really love this place. My testimonial is legit 🙂 Don’t ask why I have on all black and rain boots in Florida please 🙂
I hope you enjoyed. Please comment, subscribe and share. Thank you!
Mocha Girls Pit Stop 
WOW what an experience for me daugther, although I haven’t attended the conference all the information is impressive. Their welcoming was over the top and you deserved that. See how you are all the experience at Kutztown have helped you and enabled you to do what you are doing. You look cool in your boots and black. Keep up the phenomental work you are doing. I am soooooooo proud of you. You are very loyal, committed and focused on your career. YOU GO DAUGTHER
Daugther I will start proof reading my replies after I send them then I see the mistakes. I don’t like mistakes especially like this. I see I made an error. smh love ya
LOL Mom you’re so cute. Thank you! As far as the errors, I always re re re re read my replies because I tend to mis speak or mispell. It’s ok, I knew what you meant. Love you 😀
Both of you are going to make me cry!!!!!! I’m so happy too! I’m trying to gather some information together or if you have a packet to send out this would be great opportunity for local churches.
Thank you for visiting Uncle Dexter, I’ll send you the requirements for the internship 🙂