One aspect of an ideal internship.

A balance between personal responsibility and an encouraging mentor.

Story One:

It was during the Vietnam Era and the draft number was 22. Joining the US Navy Civil Engineer Corps seemed like a means to utilize the education recently received. After two Navy schools, orders were received to a billet where construction administration was the full time job. The position carried significant responsibility, yet the architect who had supervisory oversight was 500 miles away. Mentoring was less than minimal. Eventually permission from the State Board of Architecture was received to sit for the registration exam.

Study for the exam was individual, lonely, unsure, questioning, self searching, scary. There was no one to ask, no one for assurance, no one that guided, no one that cared. Except myself!

Story Two:

A decade later. One individual approached "join AIA and learn from peers". Thought, "I don't need it! Didn't then. Don't now". The same individual approached again, and again, and again. Finally, a capitulation, become involved. Surprises: 1) Peers can be mentors, 2) Learning comes from those older and younger. 3) Knowledge comes from sharing, interaction, and collaboration. One other individual through "caring persistence" changed my competence, my professional abilities, thus who I am. Totally immersed now in the profession, in collaboration, perhaps too much. Is there time for being alone?

Hindsight:

Wouldn't it have been great to have balanced these two stories? More collaboration at an earlier age, more mentoring to learn, address issues of insecurity, and build confidence. Perhaps less interaction now, with more time for self reflection, analysis of personal commitments, focus on the most important contributions for the future.

Why didn't I have the opportunity to be mentored early in my professional life? Right out of school. Or did I have the chance, and I just missed the opportunities? Was I totally responsible for passing the exam? Did I do it on my own? Or was I irresponsible for not finding, discovering a mentor?

Was it irresponsibility when I thought I was totally responsible? Am I acting responsibly when I'm too interactive?

In life do opportunities arise and we recognize and act on some? And pass others by without knowing they even existed? What is balance? Or perhaps a more important question:

Do Story One and Story Two both address being personally responsible for one's own future?