When I reflect on this year’s co-op, many missed opportunities come to mind. Coming into the term, the four other students working at the Coretta Scott King Center (CSKC) and I had a lot of excitement and many different expectations. As we spoke to the school board during our first week on the job, we all were filled with ideas and it felt as if this co-op would be a good one.
However, I would say that we were quickly overwhelmed by our work. Despite our jobs not being overly difficult, we underestimated what would be expected of us and didn’t hold each other accountable. We allowed ourselves to slack off on projects and procrastinate on events. The biggest problem, though, was all the drama. It felt like every day there was a new issue between us and some of us let our attitudes and egos get the best of them. From the beginning, there was never much teamwork going on and it seemed as if there were two separate groups working in the same building.
That being said, that is no excuse for why I personally didn’t work as I normally would. I can admit that I let my laziness get the best of me and I am disappointed with the work ethic I displayed during this term. There was something that caused me to not work at the level I know I am capable of and it prevented me from completing even some of the most simple tasks. At the end of the day, this was a job and I should have treated it as such and not as a place to hang out with friends. Though this is a difficult time with the pandemic we are living through and we needed self-care days to take care of our physical and mental needs, I think we took advantage of the opportunity we had and eventually used those days as excuses to not come to work.
Looking back, I realize that I should have been more grateful for the experience. We had a relatively easy job and still weren’t able to accomplish our goals. This co-op term did not pan out the way I had hoped but, regardless, what I learned from it will help me in the future and I made some new bonds that I wouldn’t replace. Now I am just ready for my second year and am excited for what awaits me.
