Last Week In Review Part II: "This is Alyssa's story..."

Last week, we had the pleasure of sharing with you our most favorite memories from this year's
International Citizen of the Year Award Dinner. Just as it was for the 2013 honoree, Mark Miles, it was likewise a very special occasion for The International Center. The evening program that every guest had a chance to attend was a success! With any event of such magnitude, there is a lot of work and preparation, of course, that happens behind the scenes: this part of event planning is  something that not everyone gets to experience.

                                                                     Alyssa Ufer, our International Citizen of the Year Event Management Intern, was tasked as part of her academic assignment, to assist in the planning process for this year's event. In the beginning, Alyssa was very excited to be working on every aspect of this major fundraising event. As the weeks progressed, however, the work began to take its toll: invitation lists and designs were her oxygen, whereas, table diagrams and table number assignments were the nutrition.
  
 All joking aside, Alyssa did an exceptional job with planning and managing this year's event. Our team at The Center couldn't have been more lucky to have such a dedicated and hardworking individual on board. From all of us here at The Center, we would like to wish Alyssa all the best and success in her future endeavors! Thank you very much for taking on this project and, most of all, for executing it so beautifully.

And now, let's hear it from the person who was in the midst of it all! This is Alyssa's story...   



An Internship to Remember 
by Alyssa Ufer

Throughout life, many people ask us what our ambitions are. As children, we aspire to have success in our career and a prosperous lifestyle. While maintaining this definitive goal, those childhood aspirations change as we mature and have new experiences. When I first accepted a position at The International Center, I did so with hopes that the internship would give me confirmation that event management was my appropriate path.

The International Center has provided me with more opportunities than I could have ever imagined. Working with a non-profit organization provides many networking opportunities with local, regional and global connections, (The International Center provides great services to Indiana by facilitating connections across the globe to improve our local communities). I have been fortunate enough to meet many benevolent individuals in the community, many of whom were extremely helpful in the planning of the award ceremony for an influential member of both our domestic and foreign communities.

As the International Citizen of the Year Event Management Intern, I had the privilege of touching nearly every aspect of the planning process for the 2013 International Citizen of the Year banquet and award program, for Mark Miles the CEO of Hulman and Company.

I began this internship with no prior event planning experience and had only volunteered at a handful of events through classes. When I was brought on I was told I would be the "glue" that would hold the planning process together. I was thrilled to be presented with such a challenge and excited to learn each of the steps involved in planning a major fundraising event.

As the months progressed, I met new challenges and opportunities. I knew there where many tasks associated with planning an event, though I had never thought that each task would have so many facets. Working on nearly every aspect of the event in some way or another left me with a full agenda. Without the dedication of the management team we wouldn't have accomplished the many variables that led to one fantastic evening.

From developing the invitation list and brainstorming the theme and ambiance of the event, to securing a table diagram and assigning table numbers, each task gave me experience and knowledge that will help immensely in the future. I am thrilled to have been part of an organization that does so much for the local and global community alike. The International Center offers great opportunities for Indiana, especially in their internship program. I have learned and accomplished so much in my time with the organization and am thankful for all the opportunities it has provided for me. This year's International Citizen of the Year award banquet was not only a success on the evening of the event, but also a successful internship experience that I will remember for a lifetime.