Let’s Get Real

As an intern graduating college in December, needing experience and a job is always in the back of my mind. There are loans due, car payments, one more semester worth of school work, and lots of everyday chores to complete. Before starting at The Challenge Program, Inc. the last time that I felt relieved was probably in high school (AKA five years ago). It is a difficult task to find a place that feels like home.

I walk in the door everyday and the possibilities are endless. The ability this organization has to grow excites me and makes me strive to help in any way I can. It is a relief to walk through the door of TCP and know that I belong and know that I can make a difference. As a young adult in 2017 “belonging” is almost a made up word.

When I talk about my internship to people they ask me what TCP does or is. My face lights up and I always start with “Okay let’s get real” because I never think they are ready for what I am about to tell them TCP does. What the organization does is real stuff in the real world and it still surprises me almost everyday when I learn something new about it. Students get real cash for their bank account, they get set up with real internships that pay real money, and they learn about real things they will need to be successful. Businesses are giving real opportunities to students and they receive real results in return.

I don’t suppose every person or place you come in contact with can feel “right”. When it does feel right you panic a little because something “right” could never have come to you so quickly and if it did then it isn’t real. However, I can guarantee that what The Challenge Program, Inc. does is “right” and it is thankfully real.