Interning at the White House Historical Association during the summer of 2023 has truly been a wonderful experience. It has allowed me to begin my journey in the professional world and grown my confidence for future endeavours.
Whilst the work itself varied by the day; I was involved in many projects, spanning lots of areas of focus for the association, and I had the opportunity to meet many interesting people. This forced me to hone many skillsets, especially in regard to communication in the workplace and across departments, and to think critically about approaches to the tasks I was assigned. As a bonus the opportunity has led me to further develop a vast knowledge of White House history and wider American history.
Out with work, I was afforded the opportunity by Saltire to attend many different events in Washington DC. These acted as chances to meet and engage with industry professionals from a variety of sectors, and to learn a little more of the surrounding professional world in Washington. In this sense I have realised far more of the opportunities that exist, and I understand more of the avenues I envisage myself potentially going down.
Furthermore, living in the United States for an extended period of time acquainted me with the culture, and this also contributed to my personal growth from the experience. It illustrated to me unique aspects of American workplace culture, and the variety of norms that are different from Scotland. And specifically, in the future, how to utilise my knowledge of national differences in attitudes.
Overall, the experience has been invaluable to me. I have made lifelong friends and memories and have learnt a great deal about myself both in professional and personal sense.