All good things must come to an end and so my experience as a summer intern here at mindyourmind is wrapping up. First off, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone at mindyourmind for all your support, encouragement and understanding. It can be difficult for autistic individuals like myself to find workplaces where we feel like we belong and aren’t weighing everyone else down. I definitely never felt that way here. I was made to be a valuable addition to this team as my ideas and contributions were valued and encouraged and for that I am truly grateful.

While I was here, I had the opportunity to lead mindyourmind’s first ever Short Fiction Contest, which was amazing and had a way bigger response than I ever expected. I also wrote several blogs, produced The Archive Series of podcasts, created content for social media and even did some website edits. I still can’t believe the level of autonomy I was given to lead and contribute in a meaningful way. I’ve learned invaluable skills, soft and hard, such as writing, editing and interpersonal skills.

Most importantly, I had a ton of fun here! mindyourmind is a great place to work because nobody takes themselves too seriously and people are always joking around, which made me feel like I could just be myself. Innovation Works in London is a really cool place to hang out, eat salad, occasionally pretend to be vegan and pet other people’s dogs. It was great getting to go to all the constant festivals they have in nearby Victoria Park (there’s basically one every Friday) and go to work events like a surprisingly funny improv comedy show and an escape room (which we totally beat in like 45 minutes).

There were still challenges along the way, but mindyourmind is one of the most rewarding work-related experiences of my life so far. I don’t know what the future holds for mindyourmind or for myself, but I wish everyone I had the pleasure of working with all the best moving forward in their individual careers and lives. As for myself, I know that this internship opportunity will be an important step upward in my personal and professional journey, no matter where I end up. Arigatou gozaimashita, mindyourmind! Keep putting youth first and doing awesome work in London and beyond!