The 2016 Shari Prestemon Social Justice Interns have graciously agreed to share their experiences with all of us. From time to time, we’ll be posting ‘journal entries’ from Sharell Shippen and Sheryl Garcia. Below is one of these entries.
Confidence is key… but what is the key to confidence?
I made a promise to myself that while I was here at Back Bay Mission I would work to better myself. Everyone has aspects of themselves that they want to improve on and I was eager to really take that leap and come home a different person than when I left. I specifically wanted this summer to be the summer I gained more confidence in myself.
Many people who know me will say I’m a shy, soft-spoken, quiet person. I’m sure you could even ask the Back Bay Mission staff and they would confirm that I am a quiet person. While in public school that was always praised, especially when class sizes were 20 plus students and there was always chaos. But as I have entered the “real world” my lack of confidence has put me at a disadvantage. I have lost many opportunities and have even gotten scolded by employers and teachers for not speaking up at appropriate times. For one reason or another it has been ingrained in me that I am only to talk if spoken to and after being a quiet person for over 20 years it is definitely a challenge to voice my opinion and make myself known.
While it has been challenging, I have made it a point to try and speak up and ask more questions in my day-to-day tasks. This internship allows me to attend many meetings and work with a variety of people, forcing me to talk and at times ask questions. It’s a strange feeling to be in a room full of strangers (more or less) and have moments where the attention is all on you. I have learned that being on the spot is not comfortable for me, but who ever grew by continuously doing things that were comfortable for them? It’s definitely a work in progress, but like all things it takes time and practice and I am confident (see what I did there?) that as the weeks go by I will find my voice.
After that, there’s no telling what I can do.
Go Sheryl Go!