I remember how nervous I was when, the day after I interviewed for MSBA, I received an email from Lorne that said, “My colleague Bailey and I would like to further discuss your application for MSBA 2017 via phone.” I thought, “Oh no, what did I do wrong that they need to talk to me again? I blew it.” A few days later, on the day we scheduled for the follow up, my phone rang and I was overcome with nerves, only to then hear, “We just wanted to let you know that you’ll be joining us this summer for MSBA 2017, welcome to the family!” I was speechless.

When Lorne said, “Welcome to the family!” he wasn’t kidding. While I am not living with my MSBA peers, it is evident how much of a family MSBA is. The constant banter, food excursions, and outings among other things, whether I tag along or not, goes to show how much everyone wants to get to know each other and form relationships that will last a lifetime. It goes to show that when you put together 25 people who all share multiple common goals – forming relationships, working hard, impressing at our internships, and having fun – they are capable of doing great things and creating incredible experiences.

“Even as an intern, I am encouraged to think outside the box and to be as creative as possible – to challenge the status quo. Being empowered like that at such a young age is very gratifying and gives me the confidence to go the extra mile and not be afraid to fail.”

I’ve been interning now at Foot Locker Inc. for four weeks and I can confidently say I would love to work here full-time. Their dress code motto is, “It’s sneaker day every day,” but that same attitude applies to much more than just the dress code. I am in a work environment that is comfortable, encouraging, and truly does share the same values as I do, which are integrity, teamwork, and innovation. Even as an intern, I am encouraged to think outside the box and to be as creative as possible – to challenge the status quo. Being empowered like that at such a young age is very gratifying and gives me the confidence to go the extra mile and not be afraid to fail. Trust me when I say that I don’t work for my supervisors, I work with them. I am the first Real Estate Legal Intern the company has ever had because when I interviewed with Foot Locker, I told them I enjoy reading leases – something they never thought they’d hear anyone say, let alone a 22 year old in college. I still get teased about it at work, as my colleagues think I have a screw loose in my head, but hey, it got me in the door so I can’t really complain. The 30% employee discount is pretty nice too I guess, right?

Tonight we had the pleasure of listening to and working with Jason Belzer, Founder & President of GAME, Inc. Jason is an agent for college coaches around the country, most of which are basketball coaches, but he didn’t get to where he is now overnight. “At one point I was diving into dumpsters,” he said about his first internship (and he meant that literally). And I thought getting coffee for supervisors would be a chore – little do I know! He taught us about what it takes to be a great negotiator, and we did an exercise that simulated an NFL contract negotiation. It was a very fun and interactive experience, and while it was hypothetical and extremely minuscule compared to Jason’s actual real-life negotiations, it really gave us an idea of what he does on a day-to-day basis and the complexity of his job as an agent. The one thing Jason said that struck a chord with me the most was, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” Wherever life takes you, no matter the ups and downs, make sure to enjoy the journey. I know I will.