A word from our interns.
Each month, the interns of Opera NexGen reflect on their experiences and opportunities. Let’s take a look at what they have to say:
First up, Harsha.
“In the first month as a development intern, I have had the opportunity to help out with some assignments thanks to my supervisor. I believe that this month has taught me how to manage my time proficiently, as well as learning how to communicate with the rest of the team. My goal was to complete anything and everything which was asked of me and to learn what it is like to be in a professional work environment. Even though there were some consequences, I think that I was able to manage and get through this month quite easily.
My first assignment was to make two calendars for the fun race. This assignment helped me learn more about how to utilize Canva, which is where I created the calendars. It was very difficult at first as I was a little nervous about messing up but my supervisor helped out a lot and answered all of my questions within a short period of time. Since it was my first assignment, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have any errors but mostly, it turned out to be fun as I had the freedom to choose any design I liked to make it into my own little creation.
For my second assignment, I was asked to make 2 Spotify playlists for the runners to listen to while doing the fundraiser. It was super fun to create especially since I was asked to bring out songs from many different genres. Although I don’t have the best music taste, I managed to pull some songs from the example playlists to create an “upbeat” and a “chill/relaxing” playlist. This took me some extra time because due to some technical difficulties, some of my playlists had gotten deleted so I had to remake some of them. However, it was still fun to make as I love listening to songs and this assignment broadened my view in music as I was able to browse through many genres of music including the 80s and 90s along with encountering different languages of music.
All in all, I have enjoyed working with Opera NexGen as a Development intern. Through many events, I have learned what to improve on and what can stay the same, for the upcoming months. As far as I know, I just need to remember to put alarms and keep and update a self calendar so I can be more productive with my time and hopefully don’t forget about any meetings. I definitely wasn’t perfect but I tried my hardest during this month and I am hoping that things stay smooth in the future as well.
-Harsha”
Next, let’s hear from our production intern, Shaurik.
“Opera Nex Gen has been quite the experience so far, especially in enabling me to understand more about musical theater productions, along with also just gaining exposure towards different projects, where I can challenge my skills and also learn new things. In terms of current tasks, I have finished working on the ONG Night Trip contracts, and am now focusing on creating summaries on Portland Opera, to familiarize singers especially for the company’s upcoming project with Night Trip concerts. I look forward to also attending sessions in understanding the musical choir break-down, in terms of virtual management for showcasing various artistic talents, along with also understanding more about theater in general, especially when coordinating large events with multiple singers. In my opinion, so far Kathleen has been very encouraging, in terms of providing inputs on tasks which are being completed, along with also diversifying the projects being assigned, especially touching on different parts of production, which as an intern I find quite interesting.
As per performance, I would like to work more in groups with other interns, to just collaborate on various objectives, and also build up my teamwork skills. I find that in terms of creating reports/presentations and working on contracts with multiple people might be a benefit, as not only do I find strength in collaborating with others but my writing skills are also an asset in producing such. However, as per weakness I feel that time management might be something I may need to work on, especially in just setting apart time and prioritizing the tasks. At the same time, I have also been taking steps in resolving this, especially in figure out my daily routine or “usual schedule” in setting time for school, extracurricular, and internships, especially for this company being related to a passion I bond with, music. Consequently, the experience so far has been warm and great, especially for the active communication with my director on pending work and collaborating in general. I look forward to continue contributing to this company, and will stay tuned through slack and Gmail.”
Here’s what our Administration Intern, Ryu Vongsaly, has been up to:
“My internship with Opera NexGen as an Administrative Intern so far has helped open my eyes to see the planning and brainstorming that is with a position in an administration environment. I’m happy and comfortable to be working in the friendly and inclusive environment that Opera NexGen creates. Everyone is passionate about what they do to help the organization, and I feel that the company spirit here is what makes Opera NexGen a great place to help build experiences and make new connections.
One of the projects I have worked on in September was helping find ways we can encourage donations, retain our current donors, and more ways we can interact with our donors--especially new donors. Another task I have completed was coming up with questions that would be asked about teammates in a “360 Review.” 360 reviews help guide our organization by being able to see the perspective of all teammates from all levels, from our supervisors to our departments.
Currently, I am working on plans for our custom artwork raffle on the upcoming productions in October. I am also working on organizing and brainstorming mini-events, such as ideas for starting up a book club at Opera NexGen. It’s great to start building this hands-on experience with planning and brainstorming, as in an administrative setting, it is about the steps that may need to be taken to reach the goal(s) that are sought. Planning and brainstorming not only helps me grow in these skills but also helps grow Opera NexGen with new input being brought to the table.
Opera NexGen has given me a new outlook on the administration field: it’s about how you can help the company grow and help others thrive in the working environment they’re in. I’m excited to see what the future holds for my internship and the future projects that will help further my knowledge on working in the field of administration. I hope to start building more connections throughout my internship and continue growing to be better than how I started. I’m very grateful for my team and the opportunities that Opera NexGen has provided me, and I hope to finish out by bringing value to the organization and strong!”
And last, but certainly not least! Our Multi-Media Intern, Lindsay:
“Within the first month of Opera NexGen, I have been introduced to the wonderful team members, and been able to see the priority of communication through the Slack and mindful meeting availability tracker. Plans take everyone into account. I also analyzed the website and looked for ways to improve it in the future. Since I just started, I have not learned much yet, but I am excited to work on the website and all projects to come.”
We’re so happy to be working with such eager, bright interns! Stay tuned to hear what they’ll be taking on next.
