Pictures of Me at my Internship (Veeva)

Starting my Internship

I am currently interning at Veeva Systems, a software company in Pleasanton.  I intern two times a week, depending on our iQuest schedule (I go on days when we are released early).  I spend approximately 5 hours a week at this internship, and I spend about 1 to 2 hours of my own time working on projects relating to what me and my mentor at Veeva are working on.  Currently my internship mentor, Lisa, and I are working on redesigning the website for the company in order to make the application process easier and to give the website a similar look to companies that are known to be very successful, such as Google, Salesforce, and Apple.  Also one that I have specifically been working on is how the company can reach out to help the community.  Being a Leadership student has taught me that being involved in the community is one of the most important things that an organization can do because its giving back to something that has given you so much in return.  I love giving back and so far at my internship I have helped organize Veeva's sponsorship of the San Ramon Run for Education, in which we donated $10,000 to the run itself, and $10,000 in running related donations such as bags for the event.  Also, the CEO of the company is very interested in speaking to high school students about starting companies and what works in the business world and what qualities are important in someone seeking a career in business.  So far, my internship mentor and I have secured speaking opportunities for the CEO at both Foothill and Amador, and my mentor has made it my job to reach out to schools in San Ramon as well.  I have learned that being in the business field requires a lot of professionalism, since emails are sent frequently and meetings are a common thing.  It is important in a business to show the best side of yourself, to always be presentable, and to always know what's going on and keep up to date.  In regards to myself, I have learned that being outgoing is a good thing in the business field, and that is something that I don't find very difficult, so my internship thus far has been working out really well.  I would love to continue the community service work that I am already doing & I would like to start getting to know a little bit more about how the business runs.  I will accomplish this goal by going to my internship more frequently and meeting new people with different responsibilities ton see what type of job in business is most appealing to me.

Goal Setting

Goal setting has always been something that I have seen as important.  I am a very driven person and set goals for myself early on and plan out ways to achieve those goals.  This process was more organized and very structured which will help me in the future with achieving these goals since I have a fairly specific outline.  In the past I have had goals but no determined ways of achieving them and I often wouldn't achieve them, but now that they are written down and planned out I am determined to achieve them.  I learned from this experience that planning ahead and creating a set outline is very beneficial in achieving goals.  I consider myself to be fairly organized in my head, however translating it into writing sets it in stone and is more visual which is very helpful to me.  I would consider one of my strengths to be reflecting on the past and finding ways to change any mistakes that I have made and improve myself as a person.  I have not always made the best decisions, but for me it's more important to learn from your mistakes than to never make any.  I have always prided myself on being able to bounce back after something bad has happened, and high school has really showed me this, especially last year.  It's always hard for me to share these things of course because in general I am fairly self-conscious even though it may not seem like it.  This is one thing I struggled with on the first page of the goal setting workbook.  I have tried to improve my self confidence as the years have gone on, and this year has really helped me through both Leadership and through this class.  I can really feel myself growing as not only a student but also as a person and that is something that is so important to me.  My biggest 1 year goal that I will achieve is attending college.  My dream school is UCLA, and I would be beyond blessed if I was accepted there.  Another of my one year goals is more specific to Leadership, and that is to motivate and inspire my fellow students.  As the student body president, I am in charge of the Leadership class and I have made it my goal this year to improve the culture of the Leadership class to make it more positive and supportive.  A 5 year goal I have for myself is to gain valuable experience in the business field.  I am starting with this high school internship and I hope to continue with internship and summer jobs in college.  A ten year goal that I have for myself is to strengthen my bond with family and with friends.  This is a ten year goal because this is something that can always be improved upon.  My last goal is leave my mark on Cal High.  This has been a huge part of my life thus far, and I would like to end on a good note.