David Wedderburn: The First Week with a Supportive Staff

Tampa Bay Wave has been incredibly welcoming and supportive throughout the onboarding process of my internship. Coming into the organization, I was reluctant to start. Although I knew what my tasks and responsibilities entailed, I honestly second-guessed myself the day before my internship. Partly because of my nervousness, but mainly due to the two-week break I received after my finals. The grueling semester that I thought would continue to no end finally did just that–end. I was overwhelmed with excitement and relief. I could finally kick back and relax. Unfortunately, that mindset continued into the day of the internship.

At the beginning of our first team meeting, all I could feel was nervousness and anxiety.
However, Linda Olson–a garnet and gold bleeding Seminole–changed all of that. She began the team meeting by having each of my co-workers introduce themselves, talk about their positions, why they like working at the Wave, their hobbies, and any advice that they have for me. Throughout the entirety of our first meeting, I couldn’t stop smiling. I could already tell that I would be entering an environment of openness and inclusivity. The feeling of importance that I received from Tampa Bay Wave was surreal. During my first week, each of my co-workers took time out of their schedule to have a one-on-one with me regarding how they could be of assistance to me and my research project. Take a moment and internalize that last sentence. Each of my co-workers took time out of their schedule to talk to me about how they could be helpful to me!

Another highlight of the transitioning process was when I had the privilege to meet Nick Morris, a previous intern at Tampa Bay Wave. Nick was able to partake a vast amount of advice and insight to me about my role with Tampa Bay Wave and the steps I should take to become a successful intern. All in all, it is easy to see that this organization is poised for growth due to its extraordinary leadership and unwavering efforts to grow the Tampa Bay community. I’m excited about what’s in store!