August 06, 2020
An Intern's Thoughts on the Amarillo Intern Experience
Interning in your hometown provides a new experience for future talent. Working in the place you grow up in shows college students what the city could offer for both their professional careers and personal lives. This summer the Amarillo EDC opened up the Amarillo Intern Experience to employers to engage their interns from all over the country and show them the true Amarillo. Lisa Silvestre, a UT student in Austin, Texas, returned home to Amarillo for her summer internship and this was her experience!
"Since Amarillo is my hometown, I thought that I knew everything that the area had to offer, but as the events went on I quickly came to realize that there are hidden gems here: new places to eat and visit that show a different side of the Yellow City. Both of the events were fun and the experience itself felt like an adventure.
When I first arrived at Cask & Cork, our first event, the atmosphere felt welcoming, there was a feeling of warmth and community among us that made the ice breakers interesting and generally funny. Though when I arrived, I only knew a few people, I was able to make new friends and talk about our different experiences working and living in Amarillo.
My favorite part of the experience was the restaurant crawl through downtown, we went to 4 different restaurants, Moondoggy’s, Gooney’s, Six Car, and Crush, and tried different food at each. The event itself reminded us all of the fieldtrips of our youth: running from one location to another, eyes filled with wonder.
Because of this experience, I have come to realize that there are much more opportunities here than I had originally thought: non-profit organizations to volunteer at, jobs and internships to apply for, and available scholarship programs. These revelations proved to me that though Amarillo is only “the biggest little city” in the panhandle, this community has a lot of potential to become a better and suitable environment for young creative people to stay and build their lives and careers here.
Amarillo has the potential to become an urban hub of development and growth, and to bring forth more economic diversity in the area. Though I will be moving back to Austin to finish my schooling, this experience has brought me a new sense of hope for the future of my hometown. I can’t wait to see all of the good things that come from the new generation of leaders being brought up here. The future looks bright for the Yellow City.
To find an internship in the Amarillo area, visit TakeRootInAmarillo's Internship Page!
