Hadley Webster '22
Major | Arts & Sciences
Internship | London, England | Zen Educate
The first day of my internship was overwhelming, to say the least. I was apprehensive about being the “newbie”, especially one from a different country. There was no language barrier, as virtually everyone in London speaks English, but I still felt like an outsider. Within the first two hours, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. The people were so nice. I met almost everyone in the office that day and spent most of my time trying to learn more about the company. By the end of my first day, I was still a little overwhelmed and definitely exhausted, but I had done well. Each day that followed after became a little easier.
Typically, my work day begins at 7:30 a.m when I wake up to get ready. The tube station is a mere 2-minute walk from my flat and then a two-stop ride to Oval station. I walk for 3 minutes and I have arrived at the office. Upon entering, I see a cool cafe to my right, where I buy an almond milk latte a little bit too frequently. My office, at Zen Educate, is on the third floor. I normally begin my work day by checking emails and meeting with my coordinator to discuss the objectives for the day. As a marketing intern, the work I do is pretty much up to me. This was very daunting initially, as I have never had a marketing internship, but I have found that I really enjoy the autonomy and freedom I have to set my own goals.
This past week, I was mainly working on a new article for their blog, which concerned safeguarding, or the processes in place to protect children from abuse. As a company that works directly with teachers and schools, safeguarding is important to Zen and is brought up frequently during the interviews they have with teachers. I noticed that many teachers were not exactly positive about what to do if a child came to them with an alleged abuse situation, so I thought it would be extremely helpful to write an entire article about it. My work day ends with a run-down of what I did during that day to my supervisor and then I begin my quick and easy journey home.
Depending on my mood, I’ll explore London after work or if I’m particularly exhausted, I’ll just do some grocery shopping and laundry. My flatmates are all wonderful people and we have gotten along very well (minus some instances where they haven’t done the dishes). It’s nice being able to return to a place that feels more and more like a home each day. Having been here for one week, I feel like a local in terms of navigating public transportation and walking around the streets. It’s strange though because I haven’t gotten a chance to do many touristy things, as I work 40 hour weeks. I don’t feel like a tourist because I am comfortable doing things that locals do everyday, yet I have skipped over the touristy things themselves. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hit all the major spots and then some within the next two months. I have already fallen in love with this city in just a short week, and I feel so incredibly grateful to be able to live here and really get a sense of what London is all about.