Written by: Becca Lindblad

My name is Becca Lindblad and this summer I was the Recreation Intern at the Park District of Highland Park in Illinois,IA, which serves a community of 30,000 people. I was very fortunate to obtain this internship because of a connection with the executive director.

I had a very valuable experience which provided me with the opportunity to interface with all levels within the District. Each week I was exposed to a new department in the organization and received first hand knowledge and understanding of their in-house operations including recreation, athletics, camps, special events, fitness, aquatics, golf, administration, finance, marketing, registration, HR, and IT. This internship experience completely took me outside my comfort zone and challenged me in ways that I have never been challenged before. I learned how to be flexible, communicate effectively with different types of people, and gained confidence in skills in new areas. Some highlights include helping assist with their Fourth of July 5K race and getting to be apart of the opening of their brand new golf course. Summer is a busy time for park districts and this experience definitely kept me on my toes!

This internship not only taught me how a park district operates but also the type of work environment that I want to pursue after school. The park district had a very positive culture, strong sense of teamwork and collaboration, and an overall environment where people want to work together and help each other.