We can’t believe the summer is already coming to and end. The past ten weeks with our FUTURES have flown by! This week, our Great River and Overland Park FUTURES presented their summer projects to their mentors, managers and the entire Netsmart Executive Cabinet during the FUTURES Strut. They spent countless hours brainstorming, filming, editing and scripting in preparation for this event. This week, Dalton, Meghan and John reflect on their summer at Netsmart and the FUTURES program as a whole.
Dalton Bush: Internal IT FUTURE
Throughout this summer, we as FUTURES have been asked to complete many different tasks. From our own individual projects and work in our different departments, to preparing a presentation for the entire company to see; we have been challenged. In my personal opinion, writing this blog is the most challenging of all tasks during the summer. The reason I say this is challenging is not because I cannot find a topic to write about. I could explain what I have done all summer, along with our FUTURES strut presentations. However, I would rather talk about the meaning of this FUTURES program. Explaining what the FUTURES program means to us is what I find to be the most challenging task of the summer.
I simply do not believe this is something that can be explained in a few paragraphs. The opportunity and knowledge that we gain as FUTURES from this summer is very difficult to put into words. For some of us, this is our first chance at an internship, and I must say what a company to learn from. Our goal over these ten weeks is to gain as much knowledge as we can and improve our understanding of the work field we intend to dive into. The knowledge and experience I have gained within the Internal IT department this summer is priceless. I began the summer with a summer’s worth of experience, but I feel I will be leaving with much more than that because of how much I have learned these past ten weeks.
The great thing about being a FUTURE at Netsmart is that the tasks we work on are not scrapped to never be thought about again. Our work is meaningful and benefits this company in one way or another. We are treated just as other associates are, and we have the opportunity to complete the same work alongside of them. For some of us, working on meaningful work gives us an extreme amount of experience. In my degree of IT, the best way to learn is to do. I’ve been able to experience and troubleshoot issues firsthand thanks to Netsmart, and I have gained valuable knowledge that interns at other companies do not ever get a chance to learn. As FUTURES of Netsmart, we are given opportunities that we simply would not have if we were anywhere else.
The opportunity of being a FUTURE at Netsmart is not something any of us take for granted. I know I can speak for every 2016 FUTURE when I say we are truly honored to be here. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for us to be able to further ourselves toward becoming successful adults. Thanks to Netsmart, we have been able to experience things that would not have been the same anywhere else. Netsmart FUTURES are supposed to feel like the future of this company, and it is easy to, with the great opportunities that we are given. Thank you to everyone who has assisted in the FUTURES program and helped us learn throughout the summer.
Meghan Gordon: Marketing FUTURE
This summer, I’ve had the privilege of working in Netsmart’s marketing department with an amazing team of individuals. I can honestly say I’ve learned more this summer than I could’ve ever hoped for. Coming into this internship, I had no idea what to expect, but was excited to begin working.
I quickly learned that Netsmart isn’t the type of place that gives its interns busy work. Instead, I hit the ground running, working on real projects that the company actually used. In my first week alone, I’d designed table tents, monitor graphics, and posters for the Netsmart 3.0 Town Hall and a Public Health Summit.
My role as a Marketing FUTURE was wide-ranging, allowing me to explore a number of my interests. One day, I’d be designing signage for an event, and the next I’d be reviewing the viability our Success Stories or editing NetsmartLife blog content.
This week, our entire FUTURES class has spent a lot of time preparing for the FUTURES Strut. Tomorrow, all thirty-one FUTURES will gather to present our work. Not many companies are willing to clear an entire afternoon so the company, including our Executives, could learn about the impact the FUTURES have had on Netsmart this summer. The Strut really reinforces the idea that Netsmart cares about the work its FUTURES do.
Thank you, Netsmart for this amazing opportunity to learn and grow my skills. Lastly, I would like to thank my mentor, Laura Schoonover, and the entire Marketing Department for welcoming me into the Netsmart Family and making these past ten weeks unforgettable.
John Poorman: Delivery Analyst FUTURE
The past ten weeks have been a great experience for me in terms of learning about Netsmart as a career choice. This has been my first internship, and it’s exceeded all my expectations. I have grown as an individual throughout the course of this summer. I’ve gotten real-world experience in a professional environment that has about a million different moving parts, all of which contribute to Netsmart being the leader in their industry. This has helped me develop my communication and time management skills greatly. I have worked on a couple different projects since completing my training and have been preparing for our Futures Strut. Throughout these projects, I feel that I have been able to keep my priorities in line and stay productive.
I jumped around to a couple of different teams until I ended up working with Morgan Meyer, Nick Butler and fellow FUTURE, Santosh Dandi, on the Centers team. As a group, we have put together documentation over the implementation of add-ons in Avatar and Evolv (I have personally only worked on the Avatar side). These documents are beneficial to associates because it gives them a guide over their implementation. It leads them through the process from pre-kick-off all the way through Go Live. These documents will also help answer any questions the Netsmart associate may have, as well as questions the client may have.
The thing that stuck out to me the most this summer was our Mental Health First Aid Certification EDM Day. I’ll be able to apply the information I learned in that class throughout my life in order to help others. A couple days ago, an email went out offering associates the opportunity to attend the class. I highly recommend signing up!
I am very thankful for the opportunity to work at Netsmart. I have absolutely loved how welcoming and friendly the associates and other FUTURES have been over the past ten weeks. I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has helped me grow as an individual. I cannot wait to share my experience with others!
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