Internships and apprenticeships, when done right, give interns and apprentices life long lessons. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, these opportunities aren’t accessible to many and so we wanted to invite folks who have had these experiences to share some of the lessons they’ve learned.

Micah Harris

Internships are funny things. They’re often painted as a stepping stone, but in my experience, they’re more like a proving ground—a place where you not only test your skills but also discover what you’re really made of. Looking back on my time as an intern at DreamWorks, I can tell you it wasn’t just about learning the ropes of a major studio; it was about redefining my own narrative. You see, my path wasn’t the typical one. I wasn’t the kid who always knew he’d work in entertainment. I was the athlete—the hurdler who’d sprinted through life, sometimes over obstacles, and sometimes right into them. Before DreamWorks, I had already faced my fair share of challenges, many of which I detailed in Voyage LA, where I shared my journey as a justice-impacted individual who turned adversity into ambition. Stepping into DreamWorks, I brought with me a mindset forged from running the race of life—not as a sprint, but as a marathon of personal growth.My leadership style is Lead by example. Read more>>

Manmeet Rattu

Over the course of my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to intern in various community and corporate settings, including clinics, hospitals, schools, and legal institutions. Although they were each valuable experiences, it was my Pre-doc internship that was the most insightful. After years of working diligently as a graduate student, I applied to several APA internships. I remember not sleeping the entire night before match day, the annual day we learned where medical and graduate students are placed with applied residencies. At about 6:45 AM that day, my friend texted me that the results were posted. I took a deep breath as I logged into the portal. There it was. I matched with my top choice, University of Texas Health Science Center in the world-renown Texas Medical Center. I called my parents crying with joy, relief and excitement. Read more>>

Simon Gak

One of the most intense moments I experienced was during my time as a scribe in the ER at Wilson Medical Center, when a patient arrived in full cardiac arrest. The room turned into what felt like organized chaos—nurses were grabbing supplies, the attending physician was shouting orders, and time seemed to both slow down and race ahead. My role, though not clinical, was critical. I had to capture everything—medication doses, procedural notes, time stamps—while staying completely focused. Read more>>

Patricia Clason

Tell us about your background of your business and yourself. My study of Tai Chi is what led me to personal growth and wanting to learn more about why people do what they do. I am now a lifelong student and have done deep learning in the fields of psychology, emotional intelligence, business, coaching and marketing. The more I learn, the more I teach, the more I want to learn and share that with others. I started by doing seminars on how to organize seminars. I became a public speaker to promote those seminars and then expanded the topics that I teach, writing a lot of workshops, articles, and contributing to several books.  Read more>>