Hello everyone,

My name is Samantha Castrillon, and I am currently a student at Year Up Providence Rhode Island studying IT. My internship role is working with the Global Planners in Hasbro.

I am part of an internship program called Year Up and when I first found out I would be placed in Hasbro I was highly ecstatic about it, but I was also partly nervous about doing well in my role. I was mainly looking forward to meeting the other staff members as I’ve heard how friendly the environment was.

I was very nervous to shift into working in a real office setting as well as feeling grateful for the opportunity to be there. I was trained to be in a professional work space but actually being in one was different and I thought it would be very strict even with friendly staff but I was proven wrong right away as everyone was very open to meeting me, speaking with me, and inviting me to meetings during my second week. I was honestly very appreciative and much nicer than I already expected it to be!

Something that surprised me was how comfortable I felt being there! It didn’t feel like I wasn’t supposed to be there, it was open and a calming space to be in. It’s quieter than I expected but even when there are conversations happening it’s still a relaxing welcoming environment to work in and I had no problem getting up and asking my supervisor any questions or for any help.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned since starting my internship is to never be afraid to ask questions. Other important lessons are always having a notebook, make sure you are following up with your team or supervisor after a meeting, and speaking of meetings it’s 100% okay to send someone a meeting invite if you have any questions with them or would like to learn more.

Since starting, I feel that in one of the ways I’ve changed is my confidence! It’s always been something I’ve struggled with especially in a group or team setting, but since then I’ve come out of my shell and I find I’m not really worried about the small stuff I was worried about before. I’ve grown into someone who isn’t afraid to just go ahead and send an e-mail to a fellow team member or to set up a team meeting with someone.

What I recommend is making sure to meet with everyone and learn about their specific role and what they do. That applies to everyone not just on your team. You should look and ask for more work you can do to help, it’ll help ease the workload for everyone on the team. An important tip is to make sure you ask to attend any and all meetings your team is having even if it may not apply to you right away the information will help you later on and it’s an important learning opportunity. Hope this helps any future interns and have fun!

Warm Wishes,

Samantha Castrillon

Year Up-Rhode Island