Doing what you love
Today my school had a career day to talk about summer internships for the first summer of our three year program. I have to say it was a little overwhelming! I plan to go into the public interest sector of my profession - needless to say, it pays hardly anything. Summer internships are unpaid. For my classmates going into the private sector, they will make close to $30,000 for the 10 weeks of summer work. I knew there would be a discrepancy in pay between the sectors, but I had no idea it would be that large! While I am tempted to go the private route just for the money, that would go against my passions and goals. It’s definitely hard to do what you love sometimes, especially when doing what you love means giving up on such a huge paycheck. But, I will make it work, and you can too! I know for all summer internships, there are tons of sources for summer funding. If you search Idealist and similar sites, you can find some amazing opportunities. And, if you get a few grants, you can make enough to cover your expenses while working for free during the summer. So check out some of those sources for public interest grants - you never know what you might find! Sticking with your passion and gaining great work experience is priceless.