Week 1
This is the Acosta Law Office sign behind Ray's desk in his office.
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With all the planning for an internship coming to an end I admit I'm a little nervous. Choosing an internship wasn't so hard; Acosta law office was the first organization I applied for. I have experience in working with lawyers and in offices so seeing their organization seemed like a good choice. What are you most concerned about in your internship? One of my biggest concerns right now is not making a good impression to my coworkers and mentor, I'm afraid of not being social and not getting along with everyone; but my energy and excitement for this upcoming day is drowning out my fears. I'm really exited on working in a lawyers office office and hopefully being able to become an immigration lawyer one day to help out families and people from all over the world. I think taking advantage of this opportunity will make me a more dependable person. Of course I'm doing this because I have an interest on becoming a lawyer and helping out families but I'm also doing this because I believe it will help me grow stronger has a person. One of my hopes for the end of this internship is for me to walk out has a better version of myself. I hope that I'll be able to get along well with my coworkers and get to know everyone. |
Week 2
Describe your internship project
That's the laptop they let me borrow to start working on my project.
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The project my mentor and I have decided I should work on is creating a guide for future interns who would join the office. The guide would be a great benefit to the organization by helping interns understand the roles here at the office, and it would also be a great help to our mentors since it gets really busy at the office. This guide would contain the following main points:
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Who is your mentor? Describe his or her life, education, career path and more. Don't forget to post a picture of you with your mentor!
My Mentor at Acosta Law Office is Sarvia Lopez, one of the first things she mentioned to me on arriving on my first day is that she is a hearing representative for workers compensation; A legal hearing representative is someone who supports and speaks on behalf of an individual or group, especially in legal matters. Advocates may not necessarily be lawyers but could be professionals trained in providing legal support. In certain contexts, such as administrative hearings or dispute resolution processes, a legal advocate may help individuals navigate the legal system, understand their rights, and present their case effectively. I'm very excited to continue working with her for the next 4 weeks. So far working with her I've noticed that she is a very busy person and doesn't let and obstacles stop her from finishing her work. I've noticed that one of her biggest skills is communication. Since the moment she comes in the office shes always making phone calls and solving missing pieces in case files. I believe Mrs. Sarvia has been making a big impact on my growth, we've had a couple talks on how I've been keeping up here at the office and her advice has really stuck deep with me. these past 2 weeks I really have seen a change in me has a person here in the office and outside the office. |
Week 3
This is Ms. Sarvia's dream board that keeps her motivate, it also marks some of her biggest accomplishments.
That's the area and filing bar I use to organize files alphabetical and to get started on filing
This is the Coffee bar where every morning everyone gather together and make their cups of coffee. (we also have a mini fridge with snacks!!!)
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Post the highlights from your mentor interview and explain what makes these quotes meaningful to you.
"You have to show assurance" is one of the things that Sarvia said to me that has stuck with me. There has been a couple of time where I have taken in knowledge but been afraid to show that I know how to do something and am capable of doing so. Another thing that Mrs Sarvia has said to me is, " You're competing against others who are trying to be at the top", I didn't realize that I HAVE to stand out from everyone to reach the top wither it means during at school or at the office but I want to make myself be noticed and reach the top to have bigger opportunities. Who benefits from the work that you do at internship? How and/or why? There are two persons here at the office who I see that benefit the most from my work; Sarvia and Marina. Every since I've gotten here at the office I've helped Mrs. Sarvia by filing paper worker into the hundreds of active cases she has. Mrs. Sarvia has an assistant who works remotely meaning she never comes in the office to help her; with that being said I've helped her with scanning closed files she's had to help make more room for new and exciting files. Another Person I've helped here at the office is miss Marina; shes one of the paralegals here and according to her one of the things she's been behind in is mileage expense. Helping Marina with mileage might be one of the things that took me the longest to learn. With mileage I'm supposed to calculate the expense of the 2 way route of the clients miles from their home to their clinic for medical help. What are social interactions like in your workplace? Do people spend a lot of time socializing? Are people isolated, doing their own things? Lots of collaboration on work projects? Not much collaboration? How does the social dynamic impact or reflect the organization's work? Everyone here at the office are very social and friendly. Most of the people here have their own office but in between clients and on their breaks they visit each other and spend time together, especially when its lunch; most of the time they gather together to go out for lunch or the offer to buy each other lunch. In the main office where Marina and Mr. Martin have there desk at, there is a mini kitchen where we all go in the morning to make our-self a cup of coffee or tea. |
Week 4
What advice would you give to a junior in high school who wants to pursue a career in the field of your internship?
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One advice I would give to a future intern that is planning on joining Acosta Law Office is to be curious. If you have an interest for the law filed you should be reading the files you are given to file, should be curious and asking questions about whatever is going on in the office. Asks question on why is there an extra desk in the main office, or on clients that come in and out of the office. One thing I say you shouldn't do is putting you're headphones or earphones on. There are a lot of things going on in the office and a lot of interesting conversations about cases and laws that do help you understand certain topics in the law field and I believe if you end up listening and asking questions about the conversations you'll learn a lot more.
Are you planning to continue working with your internship site or mentor after internship is over? If so, how did these plans develop? What will you be doing? A couple days into the internship I was told that during the summer they would more than happy to have me back in the office if I'd like to come back; So now I have plans for this summer!!! I've really enjoyed working here with everyone and I see a future for myself here. With Mrs. Sarvia telling me that to be at the top I would have to compete with others I feel like this would be a great opportunity to a head start. |
WEEK 5
I put my letter onto a template on canva to make it look better
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Describe what you are most thankful for in your internship experience—what experiences, what people, and so on? What new appreciations have you gained through internship and how did you develop these?
During my time here at Acosta I've learn a lot of valuable life skills, every single one of my colleges have taken the time to sit down with me allowed themselves to get interviewed by me. Mrs. Sarvia has taught me to never consider anything in my career "not important" or take things has "little things"; for the main reason being if I want to reach the top or my desired goal I have to take inconsideration every single thing I do. Mr. Acosta has taught me that I should always be asking questions, because it's the only way you'll truly every learn. From Mrs. Marina I've learned that it's okay to take breaks and time for myself; And lastly with Mr. Martin, he taught me that I'll have to make sacrifices, I'm going to have cut out friends, certain family members, boys, and parties. I feel like that's something that was needed to be said to me, and that everything is going to be okay because when you reach your goal you're going to look back and say that everything, all the struggles, the sadness and happiness was all worth. Working here at Acosta law Office has made me realized that everyone has there own different story. Another thing I'd like to add is Acosta law Office specializes in workers compensation, everyday I do filing for Ms. Sarvia and Ms. Marina and I read files and cases from different clients. Reading their cases and seeing how they now struggle with physical disabilities that they didn't have to struggle with before has made me more grateful than every that I can walk with both my legs, read with my eyes, write with both my hands, and remember things clearly. Working here has helped me not take the smallest things for granted. Write a Thank You note to your mentor, highlighting specific learning experiences, achievements, personal growth, etc., that occurred during your internship. Dear Ms. Sarvia, I hope you are doing well as I write this. I wanted to take a minute as my internship is coming to an end to sincerely thank you for the amazing time I've had learning from and being mentored by you. Your steadfast commitment and support over the past five weeks have had a significant influence on my professional growth. The act of freely imparting your knowledge, perspectives, and proficiency has greatly influenced my comprehension of workers' compensation and legal procedures. I sincerely appreciate the chances you gave me to take on difficult assignments and gain first-hand experience with real-world situations. Your encouraging words and helpful criticism have been really helpful to me as I've tried to make my way through the convoluted legal system. In addition, I value the time you spent in our one-on-one conversations, during which you kindly responded to my inquiries and offered your experiences. In addition to improving my technical abilities, your mentoring has motivated me to take a proactive and strategic approach to problems. I'm sure the abilities I picked up under your tutelage will be a solid basis for my future ambitions, and I'll carry the lessons I learned from this job with me throughout my career. Again, I want to thank you for being such a great mentor. I sincerely appreciate the chances you've given me and the beneficial influence you've had on my development as a professional. I hope to see you again in the future and wish you great success. Sincerely, [email protected] (952-564-5236) |
