Surprising New Skills

By Genevieve Buthod

Can you believe we only have a month and a half left of this semester? My mind is blown by everything we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. Sometimes I feel like I’ve forgotten how to blink or breathe, simple things that college students can sometimes learn to live without to accommodate busy schedules.

But I’ve learned to love being immersed in activities and responsibilities that I am proud to be trusted with. For instance, I spent last Friday at the office for the Anthony R. Martin campaign running through and formatting data on the voter pools for the upcoming election. Standard intern duties, but I was looking for more work. Luckily, Anthony (Tony) was hosting a fundraiser at TR’s pub down the street, so I got to meet the head of public relations and help her out welcoming guests and encouraging people to donate their time as well.

I met neighborhood firefighters and their families, all big supporters of Tony because of his efforts to protect the pensions of firefighters. I also met interesting and influential South Side Irish characters.

I have heard about the networking opportunities that come with an internship, but I had never before fully experienced them in a way I could recognize. I felt what it is like to be immersed in a group of people who know more influential people than I do, and it was a great feeling. I think the only way to improve my network and my social skills is to surround myself with people who do it better than I do. The only way to learn is to be constantly seeing examples of people more skilled than myself. This is certainly true with academia and music, but I am learning that it is true in internships and social settings, as well.

All in all, it was a great night to learn new skills and reinforce some of the people skills I already have. I am seeing that working on a political campaign is a truly unique experience. I never know what I will have to do when I walk in, but I know that I will always walk out having learned something valuable.

Genevieve Buthod is a sophomore, and a major in Computer Science with a minor in Philosophy. She is a happy and healthy vegan. She is also the TIAA-CREF Campaign Manager for Students for Justice in Palestine. Genevieve is the Senior Viewpoints Editor for the Xavierite.