Have you ever been an intern who felt that you should have been paid money for the tasks that you completed: all the hard work that you put in, the errands that you ran, or even the ideas that you contributed to a purpose or cause? In fact, can you recall a time when you have thought to yourself or even said aloud “I Want To Be a Paid Intern?” Well, I know I have!

About a year ago, during the summer of 2008, I participated in an internship with Motivos Magazine. I can remember attending several events with Motivos: the fiestas, festivals, and fund raisers. However, one event in particular remains more vivid to me than the rest: the “Fiesta on the Parkway,” a celebration at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia a day before Independence Day. On this scorching summer day, I assisted with the setting up of the Motivos Magazine subscription table and ran several errands. I even walked up and down Parkway trying to convince pedestrians to subscribe to Motivos. Even more clearly, along this hectic, tiring, sweaty summer day, I can remember turning to a fellow intern of mine and saying, “I want to be a paid Intern”- one who receives money for all the work that he does.

Today, as I reminsce on my experience with Motivos I can proudly say, I was a paid intern. In retrospect, Motivos paid me with something much more powerful and worthy than money: knowledge, oppurtunities, and experiences that last foever. Jenee A. Chizick, the founder of Motivos, gave me the knowledge of how the magazine business operates. She and a team of professionals provided me and my fellow interns with the steps from rough draft to publishing with a hands-on experience. I was given the oppurtunity to spend quality time and learn the jobs of a professional journalist-George W. Miller, a famous writer-Soledad Chavez-Plumley, a world renowned photographer-Conrad Louis Charles, and a graphic designer-Gil Gonzalez. I was able to “pick the brains” of those pofessionals and gain the knowlegde of their jobs.

Throughout the whole “rough draft to publishing” process, I developed a mutual relationship with the journalist George W. Miller, a writer for the Philadelphia Weekly. Our relationship began when George decided that he wanted to write a story on me for the column that he writes for the PW. With my permission, George published a story of my life that week. Prior to reading the article, it was already a life changing experience; I had my story told in a public form to highlight positivity in Inner City Philadelphia and to be used as inspiration to whomever it applied.

Last, at the end of my internship, Jenee gave me the oppurtunity to be published in Motivos’ 2008 fall issue. I was able to relate my story to the world through print media, a once in a lifetime experience. But what made me so special, what was it to my story that needed to be told?

Overall, throughtout my internship, my experienced peer’s saw some things in me that I had failed to notice in myself: my resilience and potential beyond what I had imagined. I was acknowledged and given recognition. Most importantly, I gained knowledge about myself that caused my inspiration for my future to grow.
Now, was I not a paid intern? Or was I just oblivious to what I received in return for the work that I did?

Ultimately, people should never take their internships for granted, because they pay with something worth far more than money that can not be spent- oppurtunities, experiences and knowledge. That said, as for all the various- current and prospective interns out there, any oppurtune moment to engage in an event or experience with the company or organization in which you are an intern, should be taken head-on, full throttle. As an experienced intern I must say, “Many internships pay very well!”