In an effort to provide prospective employees or interns perspective of what working at Launch SA is like, we’re posting these accounts from previous interns in their original, unedited form. We hope that this not only provides depth to our work environment but also a different perspective of the support that we provide to the community at large!
Going into the summer of 2020, I was nervous. There were many parts of the quickly approaching summer experience I was excited about — LaunchSA seemed awesome, and as an Economics major, the focus on small businesses to bolster San Antonio’s economy really appealed to me. But there was a lot that felt less familiar. I was moving to San Antonio, never having stepped foot in Texas before. I was working for a small, two-person company only having worked at large, hierarchical firms before. And most crazy — at least to me — is I had gotten the internship even after explaining to Ryan that I was interested in graphic design with little to show for it, and he promised to give me an opportunity to explore that.
Now, 10 weeks later, the summer has flown by and it’s hard to believe I’m only a few days from closing it out.
First, I’ve said this before, but LaunchSA was such an awesome lens to understand San Antonio through, especially as someone who was experiencing the city for the first time. Understanding the city culture through the entrepreneurs and businesses that call it home was a fast, easy way to quickly adjust—and appreciate—my new home.
Second, I was drawn first to LaunchSA, not only because of what they were achieving economically, but in larger part because of the emphasis they placed on building up, and connecting with, their community. From my experiences corresponding with early-stage entrepreneurs, talking on the phone with business owners looking for support, and hearing from the experiences of seasoned veterans in various LaunchSA sponsored forums, it was ever more clear that LaunchSA is beyond the numbers. Yes, they do great things for the city, but it’s motivated by the names and the stories of the people they’re helping — not the numbers or the reports. It was really cool to see and be a part of, a company that genuinely cares about its customers and places that at the forefront of what they do. It’s something that’s definitely been lacking in other companies I’ve interacted with, and I honestly became a little disillusioned with finding in a company I’d come to work for. Now, however, my experience this summer has demonstrated how important passion is as a driver for quality work, and now I know how important that is to find at any job going forward.
Third, Ryan and Daniela were such awesome bosses. Like I previously mentioned, Ryan took a chance on me. When I arrived in Texas, I was assigned to work with him on Launch Digital, and I even got to try my hand at a few brand logos, which was awesome. They gave me enough space to learn and grown, but also I felt incredibly supported, despite the fact that we were participating in an online setting.
In summary, this internship definitely met, if not surpassed, expectations. I really tried to think about ways to improve it, and it was hard, but in the end, if I were to offer up anything to change it would probably have a little bit more structure for the time between assignments/projects.
