Return to Office: In-Person Work After a Year of Covid 

Hi, my name is Avni Vallab, and this summer I am a special projects intern at the Plano Chamber. I am a rising Senior at Plano West Senior High School and I will be writing a blog to keep you up to date with my work as an intern. A special thanks goes out to FedEx Office for sponsoring my internship this summer!

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This past year marked a transition from the physical to the virtual world. In-person school was replaced with hours on end of mindlessly staring at a bright computer screen. After 9 grueling months of online school, I was sick of staring at a screen. That’s why once I learned that I was accepted to the Plano Mayor’s Summer Internship Program I was thrilled. Once I learned I could be interning with the Plano Chamber of Commerce, and in person, I was ecstatic! 

After months on end of being locked up at home and staring at a screen, I was finally getting to go to an office in person, I couldn’t be more excited. That was until the morning of my first day when I realized I had to be awake at 6 am. The transition from not having to go anywhere on a regular basis, to having to regularly wake up in the early hours of the morning and make a commute, was jarring. 

If on your first morning, you’re not so nervous you can barely eat, you’re not doing it right. What if I’m not wearing the right clothes? What if I can’t find the office? What if? What if? What if? I was considering every possibility from not packing enough lunch, to getting helplessly trapped in the elevator. Before I knew it my first day came to an end faster than I could have imagined. Within the first few minutes of entering the office, my nerves quickly disappeared as I learned everyone in the office was friendly and open to help. 

I went with the flow observing everything going on around me. I was always listening, taking in the important conversations and meetings that were happening every second. The opportunity to engage in a professional work environment is an invaluable experience that I knew most high school students don’t get. I wanted to make sure I took full advantage of this experience by engaging and learning at every step. 

2 weeks later I have comfortably settled into my new office. My cubicle quickly became littered with personal items, and I learned the ins and outs of my new office. One secret I quickly learned was that even in sweltering 99-degree weather, bring a jacket because the office is frigidly cold. Additionally, getting trapped in the elevator actually happened more often than you think, so always take the stairs just to be safe. 

To any interns nervous about starting their new internship, relax! You’re going to feel nervous and sick to your stomach, but that’s normal. No matter how your day goes, at the end of that day, you will go home. So no matter how awkward or nerve-racking your first day is, it will eventually end, and before you know it you’ll love coming into the office every day to see your coworkers and get to work!