My time this summer as an intern for the Leadership Development department of the Greenville Chamber has been nothing short of a life-changing experience. Aside from learning the basics about how an effective Chamber of Commerce runs, I have been able to learn about the city of Greenville, about how to work in an office job, about my strengths and weaknesses – some of which I never knew I had, and so much more. Alongside this, I have been able to work on skills that I have learned and put them to use in a practical setting, not just for a class credit in school, which has been refreshing.

The staff at the Greenville Chamber has been wonderful in helping me achieve my goals, opening new opportunities for me, helping me to grow and adapt, and being my friends this summer. I truly could not have asked for a better group of people to have alongside me during my first internship. The atmosphere of the Chamber is one of growth and progress, and the bar has also been set high in terms of the quality of their work, which has far exceeded what I expected coming in.

The city of Greenville has also been a treat, a clean and put-together city full of character and life, especially within Falls Park and walking along the remainder of Main Street. Being from Charlotte, I am used to a big city feel, and Greenville packs the same punch in a smaller, more compact package. But also, in a cleaner and more welcoming way. Fluor Field, Falls Park, and Court Square were three of my favorite spots to be.

From this experience I will take the skills taught to me and incorporate them into my daily life, especially within my future career. Working in an office setting, holding meetings with experienced adults, creating plans and making agendas, assisting with programs and events, it has all been extremely useful to me for what I want to do in the future. For that I am grateful. Tami Miller welcomed me into the Chamber with open arms and allowed me to focus on what I wanted to focus on while simultaneously completing tasks to assist her in her day to day.

Thank you again for this opportunity.

Noah Barnett