I usually stop by Starbucks before I head into the office, just because somehow I ended up getting to the area with 45 minutes to spare. But this Monday morning, I only had about 20, so I just headed straight to the office a little early.
I had just sat down at the “intern’s desk”, for the JKO School, when Mary Jo the Director of Education and Training came by the area and said, “Kara needs an intern.” Intern? I am an intern, so I turned around to face Mary Jo and listen to what she was saying. That’s when she looked at me and her eyes widened, just enough to show that she had just come up with an idea. “Ranisha, do you think it would be okay if we steal you away from the education department to work with Kara as her assistant? It will just be until she hires someone else full time, so you should be able to get back up here before your time here ends.” “Me!? Work for the Executive Assistant? Of course it’s okay for you to “steal me away’!!”, is what I thought to myself. “Yes, I do not see the problem. I would love to help Kara”, is what I actually said to her.
After she had reviewed my application materials, she introduced me to Kara Medoff Barnett, the Executive Director for American Ballet Theatre. I wasn’t sure that this was actually happening to me until I had sat at the desk of the Executive Assistant and started helping Kara. While she is very kind and understanding, she also handles very important people and concepts everyday, so I had to be on top of my game at all times. It was quite an experience to be able to work with her.
I told everyone that asked, that I had come to New York to be a sponge and to learn everything absolutely possible in these three summer months and I think I learned as much as I could. Working both in the Education Department and the Administrative Department were altogether different experiences and it was great to be exposed to both and learn what they both had to offer!
Ranisha Shelton
Education, JKO School Intern
Summer 2016
abtinterns 
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