by Nick Kight, 2011 summer intern
Here’s a little background about me: I lost my grandfather to liver cancer my senior year of high school. That was the first time I dealt with loss and death that hit so close to home. To this day, it’s weird not having him there at the dinner table during the holidays playing Euchre with the rest of the family. I remember him cracking jokes, and I could see this remarkably ornery look on his face. He would look directly at me, and we would share these moments where I just thought to myself, “you’re silly, grandpa.” I would love to have one of those moments with him again.
I’ll never forget the pain and sadness in my mother’s face when I asked her how she was doing with grandpa’s death. My mother doesn’t cry in front of me much, but when those tears started flowing, I knew that was the hardest time in her life. Not only was she a wife, a mother to three boys, a working woman, but also a daughter about to lose her father. I could see how overwhelmed she was. When I learned about the services and support Cancer Services provides to the people affected by cancer in the community, I wanted to help. Cancer Services does an amazing job alleviating some of those emotional and financial burdens, and I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.
I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since I first walked through the door at Cancer Services. I came here with my public relations practicum class to learn about what Cancer Services does for the community. We also came to see if there was anyway our class could host a 3rd party fundraiser for Amber and Cancer Services, but that’s a story for another time.
First let me start with my initial impression of Amber. I remember thinking how energetic she was and genuine when she first met our class. I could easily tell Amber loved her job. The inflection and pitch in her voice went up and down as she listed off all of her responsibilities. Let me share something with you all. This woman is passionate about her job. I’ve met many people who see their job as a paycheck. I can assure you, this is not Amber. She has such a heart for those afflicted and burdened by cancer. You should just see her to-do list. Trust me, it’s long and appears to be never-ending, but she comes in everyday with a smile on her face and a positive attitude.
I remember when Amber gave my class and I the official tour of the facility back in October. I was impressed by the mission of Cancer Services, the cleanliness of the facility, and like I already mentioned, Amber herself. Amber mentioned how she needed interns for the upcoming year, and even though I did not tell her right then and there, I knew I wanted to come back here one day and intern with her.
I am grateful for the time I have been able to spend at Cancer Services this summer. This summer has flown by so quickly. As I sit here typing, I can’t even believe this is my last day. I have learned so much from my time here and hope to use that knowledge wherever God may lead me next. Amber has been a wonderful supervisor. She assigns me projects and blogs out the wazoo, and whenever I have a question about public relations, she is always ready and willing to give me an answer. She also has always treated me with kindness and warmth. I have never once felt intimidated by Amber. Everyday when I walk in, she always asks me how I am doing and greets me with a smile. I hope that if I am ever in a position where I am supervising others, I can treat them as kindly as Amber has treated me. She has prepared me well to head out into the real world in a year’s time and dive into the public relations world. I know Amber will be someone who I can always call upon when I need a mentor’s advice and opinion.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed my time at Cancer Services. All of the staff have been nothing but kind to me, and Amber kept me busy posting blogs, writing press releases, and creating graphic design materials. I appreciate the opportunity Amber gave me to be a part of an organization that does good for the community. I just hope in some way, my contributions will help Cancer Services in their mission to help people.
Cancer Services…it’s been real. Thank you all for everything. Keep in touch!
~ Nick Kight, 2011 summer intern
