Intern Retrospective: Mikala King “There is great love in this city”

Applications for the 2019 City of Huntsville intern class are open through March 15, 2019. Apply.

Of all the many lessons and interesting facts that I’ve learned throughout my time as an intern with the City of Huntsville’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, there are three things that stick out the most to me.

The first is the fact that I really am a morning person. While that may seem silly to you, this is big news for me because I’ve always thought that I was the exact opposite. The second is that there is a great love in this city.

This love is expressed through the many costumes that people put on. Whether this costume is that of a dedicated social worker, an amazing volunteer, or even just a very happy person, never have I experienced as much joy and emotion as I have when working with Dr. Kenny Anderson and the people he reaches out to and who reach out to him.

Mikala King interned with the Office of Multicultural Affairs

Everywhere this internship has taken me, I have come across the best, brightest, and most caring people in the world. Take for example Ms. Helen Drake, one of the dedicated social workers I mentioned earlier. When she steps into the room, the atmosphere completely changes. You can literally feel her genuine care and passion for helping children and youth saturate the air and warm your heart. Simply said, getting the chance to work with her has been amazing.

The third thing that sticks out to me that I’ve learned through my internship is the fact that, despite the immense love in this city, there is room for more. Despite the numerous non-profits and the swarms of people selflessly dedicating their time to great causes, there is more work that can be done.

I’ll be honest, before this internship, I did not volunteer. I did not think I had the time to volunteer. But I do. Really, most people have the time. That’s why I’d like to challenge all of the readers to volunteer one hour this month. If you already volunteer, then urge your friends and family members to volunteer. Trust me, it’s worth it.