I have to say, before I actually started my internship at Mary Free Bed I would have had a simple answer to this question. I might have said: “I want to contribute to the health of my community,” or “I want experience in my field so that I can get a job when I graduate.” Though both of those thing are very true, my brief experience at MFB so far has showed me that what I will get out of this internship will be so much more.
I sat through a nine hour employee orientation on Monday. Every moment was not filled with excitement and enlightenment, but it gave me an intimate look at the power and authenticity behind MFB’s mission statement: “Restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation.” I knew that Mary Free Bed is a very well respected rehab hospital, and a leader in the field of rehabilitation, but to hear the overwhelming support behind its mission was moving.
I heard CEO Kent Riddle talk about his first experience with MFB, when his wife was treated for a traumatic brain injury after an awful car accident. He was so inspired and uplifted by the kindness of the staff and the quality of the care, that he knew he had to get involved. I also saw the excitement in all of the other new employees. A few of them even said that working at Mary Free Bed has been their end goal ever since they started school.
The videos of patient stories moved me most of all. As a Health Communications student with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations, I know the power of stories. Being able to work with stories such as these, and help create more of them, is my dream. Through this internship, I know that I will not only get practical experience in so many areas (which is great, because I haven’t yet narrowed down what area within marketing and PR that I would like to focus on), but I will be able to work towards a mission that I completely support.
So, yes, I do want to contribute to the health of my community, and I do want experience in my field so I can get a job, but mostly I want to be a part of the team (even just for one semester) that helps show people that they should. #AskForMary
Ben Risinger 