More than Shoes, More than an Internship – We Are Agents of Change
It’s been slightly over a month since our intern class joined the TOMS family, and we’re truly realizing what everyone meant when they told us during orientation “you’re more than an intern.” We’re not fetching coffees and our days aren’t filled with menial busy work tasks. Next week I’ll be breaking down the departments and sharing some details about what each of us is up to in our daily tasks and long-term projects; for now, it’s all about this singular cohesive group that we call our intern family.
Back row: Kari, Tiffany, Erik, Michael, Josh, Matt, Tyler; Middle: Dana, Charlotte, Iris, Whitney, Vivian, Ann; Front: Kelly, Erin, Andrew, Jenna, Tanya, Caroline
Caroline, our amazingly energetic intern program coordinator, has been working with every department at TOMS to organize weekly/bi-weekly “Snack and Chats” for us. With piping hot coffee and pastries in hand we gather together to learn the nuances and interact with departments outside our own. These meetings are so valuable – it expands each of our scopes of understanding about this incredible brand we’ve become a part of. It’s in these moments that we recognize the integral connections between each department and see where we fit in. I feel a deep sense of respect that such busy managers, directors – even the president! – graciously take time out of their work day to engage with us about their positions, experiences and answer our many questions.
Coffee chat, with campus programs intern, Tyler, speaking
One of the most interesting and powerful meetings was with the Fall 2011 interns. It was so impressive to witness how they’ve integrated from intern to full-time employees. They were extremely honest and transparent with their experiences and advice about the intern program; their most compelling stories were about the bonding and long-lasting friendships that began during their own internship. They beamed inside jokes and joy, and I think we all took a subconscious cue from that coffee chat… because before the week was over we were planning our very own beach day!
With music, frisbee, snacks and sun, we spent hours lounging and laughing a relaxing Sunday away. There was no TOMS “business talk,” other than that we needed to have several dozen photo shoots with our TOMS flags and bare feet. We huddled around the fire pit as we watched a beautifully vibrant west coast sunset. A group nearby released some sky lanterns when all sunlight had officially vanished, and it was an awesomely symbolic following their bright glow into the night sky, packing up and departing when we saw the last flame extinguish.
