Sarina is a junior at Marymount Manhattan College majoring in Communication Arts and minoring in Journalism.

When I first started at AOL in June, I was anxious about what the experience would be like. I was worried like a kid on the first day of school. Would I fit in and make friends? Am I capable to handle the responsibilities that will be thrown at me? What if I say or do something embarrassing? Needless to say, I had nothing to worry about. In fact, this has become a summer to remember.

From company outings to lunch breaks to team meetings, every little twist and turn has been a new point of growth. I’ve learned everything from how to communicate within a team and office setting to how to handle assignments on my own. I think the number one thing people forget about an internship experience is that not only are you learning the ins-and-outs of your future career, but you’re also learning and growing yourself.

The things I will cherish the most are the ones that didn’t necessarily have an assignment attached to them, but had a pivotal moment of challenge and accomplishment. On days I was tired, I committed and pushed on. On days I felt a little less excited about an assignment, I would switch up how I go about it and find new ways to accomplish my goal. In the end, it not only got the assignments finished, but help me find more confidence and a part of myself that I didn’t know existed.

A major highlight of my summer was winning the ACE Intern Award. I really was not expecting that at all and I was blown away my team nominated me. Reading over the reviews on the award made me realize that all my hard work was appreciated and how lucky I was to be in this experience with such a great team. I can’t thank them enough for helping me with everything along the way. They’ve graced me with the ability to laugh a little bit harder and push myself further than I imagined. And for that, I am eternally grateful. However, we are just one team among several teams here at AOL. I can’t thank the others here that have also helped me throughout this experience and the amazing people I’ve met and communicated with along the way.

To sum up this experience into a few words would be impossible. The amount of knowledge I’ve gained along the way about myself and my future career path is too much to put into words. The people I’ve met and this experience has been something that is along the lines of a dream. I can’t give enough thanks to About.Me and AOL for this experience. And lastly, to all my co-workers who believed in me and helped me create a summer to remember.