Sharika Razdan, a rising junior at Unionville High School, spent the summer at DesignPhiladelphia as our Design Education Intern. Between organizing supplies and designing workshop slideshows, Sharika learned what a position in the workforce looks like. With her experience these past few weeks, she has gained interest in the design world and hopes to pursue it in a future career that will allow her to harness her strengths and creativity. She embraces many opportunities to learn and grow outside of DesignPhiladelphia such as her involvement with Girls Inc, varsity rowing, and art. 

Q: Our team had the privilege of meeting you through your organization, Girls Inc. Tell us more about your experience with Girls Inc. What do you enjoy most about being about the program? 
A: “Although I am new to the organization I have had lots of great opportunities. I was able to learn important lessons like healthy relationships, how to manage your money, and how to dress and act in a professional environment. Girls Inc. was an integral in preparing me for this internship. This was my first internship and had never done a real interview before. Girls Inc.’s mock interviews and practicing networking helped me feel confident about pursuing this internship. I also enjoyed Teen Advocacy Council where I had the opportunity to work with other girls, plan, and lead a workshop about self love, friendships, and the idea of sisterhood. That experience engendered a lot of very deep conversations in a comfortable space.”

 
Q: An internship can be very eye opening as to what the work force can look like. What did you imagine each day would look like prior to beginning the position? How did this experience reinforce or change those expectations?   
A: “Going into this I had no idea what it was going to be like. I had never worked in a professional setting before so this was nerve racking but exciting. I am very happy with how it went and it was a great learning opportunity for me to get a feel for a professional environment.”

 

Q: The summer was filled with so many learning moments as well as exciting experiences! What was the most memorable moment of your internship?
A: " The most memorable moment of my internship was when we did the Wondering Studio in Sister Cities Park. I have volunteered a lot at art summer camps and other activities and love working with kids. It was fun to encourage their creativity and watch them design while having fun. I thought the workshop equipment was creative and something I would enjoy as a kid.”

 
Q: Throughout your time with the DE team you worked with Michael, Liza, and Carly each week and took on some very different tasks. Describe your favorite project you worked on.  
A: "One of my favorite things I worked on was redesigning the old workshop slides to match the new rebranding and color scheme. This allowed me to be creative and play with formatting and design."

Q: You are involved with a number extracurricular activities outside of school. We know you loved rowing and gained a lot of life lessons from the sport. How has that prepared you for working as an intern for DesignPhiladelphia?
A: "I have been rowing since eighth grade. Since my first regatta at the club I joined it has been a big part of my life. I made many close friends along the way. Now as a varsity rower in highschool I have struggled with balancing school and crew. Through my difficulty I grew stronger in effective planing which Even though I may not pursue it in college it still will have an impression on my daily life"

Q: How has the internship contributed to your professional growth? Has it taught you anything new about yourself?
A: "I think it has contributed to my professional growth by teaching me how to communicate and organize myself in a job environment. From managing my commute times and getting my work done, it took time management to complete my tasks. I also learned to communicate through new platforms in a professional setting."

Interested in volunteering with DesignPhiladelphia's Design Education program?  Please reach out to Michael Spain (michael@designphiladelphila.org), Liza Niles (liza@designphiladelphila.org), or Carly Clifford (carly@designphiladelphila.org) for more information.