NewsDrop-Winter-2021

Photo: EAA intern, Carlos Cortez.

“I AM EXCITED TO WORK ALONGSIDE GREAT INDIVIDUALS IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE COMING MONTHS. I KNOW I WILL BE ABLE TO LEARN AND USE A LOT OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP ME DEVELOP MY PROFESSIONAL RESUME AND SKILLS.“

“If you are not willing to put in the extra time and effort, someone else will, and they will be more successful than you”. As a current college student at St. Mary’s University I have really made it my goal to make sure that I get the most out of the college experience. Some people may see the college experience as going to parties, others as their first time away from home, but for me it has been trying to learn as much as possible, networking, and preparing myself for my future job. One great opportunity to do that is by getting some real-life experience through a job or internship. So, I began searching for a possible part time job or internship and stumbled across the Financial and Administrative Internship at the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). I had never heard about the EAA or what they did. Growing up here in San Antonio I knew about the Edwards Aquifer as I learned about it in school but never knew about the EAA. So, I did some research about on it and instantly was interested in applying as it is very important the City of San Antonio and saw an excellent opportunity to get into the field I am currently studying. Immediately I began to read the internship description and what really caught my attention was that I was going to be working alongside multiple departments throughout the EAA. Not only was this going to allow me to get some real-life experience in the Finance and Accounting industry but also how the different departments play a role to the overall organization. So, I submitted the application, got an interview, and ultimately landed the internship.

It has almost been 2 months since I began, and it really has been a great learning experience that has allowed me to not only push myself out of my comfort zone, but expand my knowledge in many different ways. In these past 2 months I was assigned to the IT department. At first, I was skeptical and did not know really what to expect. I figured I was going to be setting up computers and fixing up wiring. However, the IT department was way more than that and with some great mentors like Martin and Victor I have really been able to learn a lot from them and even use some of my skills and knowledge to help them out. In these 2 months I have been able to really learn a lot of skills and knowledge by collaborating on multiple projects and everyday tasks in the IT department. For example, I helped to research and develop the current Disaster Relief Plan that the EAA has in place for their networks. Another project I have been involved in has been implementing and developing an Inventory system for all the technological devices from laptops to iPhones that the EAA owns. Both of these projects as well as many other tasks have allowed me to use my technical skills learned throughout my classes and certifications into practice. At the same time I was faced with a lot of new things that I had no prior experience or knowledge about, but I was able to learn and adjust quickly to all the new skills and knowledge I was exposed to.

I am excited to work alongside great individuals in the different departments in the coming months. I know I will be able to learn and use a lot of skills and knowledge that will help me develop my professional resume and skills. In the coming future I want to be able to take my skills learned at this internship, in my classes, and any other experience to a financial institution working possibly as a financial analyst or with their capital markets team. Finally, I want to take everyone who has allowed me to have this great opportunity, and everyone that has helped me along the way. I still have about 6 months here so I hope to get to know as many people as possible as well as learn everything that I can.

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