Being the security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch over the course of the past ten weeks has proven many things about me as a person. I have benefited tremendously from the experiences during the internship. I have developed a strong understanding of what it takes to provide security for people and also how beneficial this type of work can be. The impact that this internship has had on me as a person have been tremendous. The internship has changed my overall perspective of what I want to do for the rest of my life. I feel that the internship provided a unique opportunity to get to know people from all over the United States.
Being able to meet people from all over the United States was something I never dreamed I would get to do, but I benefited from this greatly. I felt that with my background as a student at Vincennes University, I was fully ready to take on the tasks I was dealt on a daily basis. I found that I had much more strength in many areas than I had thought prior to the internship. Being that I had experienced an internship that I did not benefit from before, I was skeptical when my internship began. After the very first few hours on my first day, I knew that it was going to be a life changing experience.
Being able to meet people of all ages, ethnic groups, etc. was a very good experience for me. This really helped me get a better understanding of the field of Homeland Security and Public Safety and the things that are dealt with on a daily basis being a professional in this particular field. All of the positive feedback that I got from the guests over the course of the summer made me feel a great sense of pride. I do not remember a single day that someone did not say something positive toward me regarding the way I handled situations and the way I presented myself.
Of all of the things that had positive impacts on me, the positive comments were definitely the most rewarding from a personal standpoint. Each week began with me introducing myself to the new guests that arrived to stay for the week. I always made sure to explain that I would be there each day during the week to aid in anything related to security and safety. I told each guest that if they noticed anything suspicious going on, or if they encountered anything disturbing to let me know immediately. Each day I kept a very routine schedule.
I made routine patrols of all of the facilities on the ranch, and as I did this I would ask every guest if everything was normal. As I made patrols of the facilities I always looked for any types of damages, malfunctioning exit signs, lights, and so on. I would also conduct routine patrols of the golf course looking for any hazards such as trees that seemed unsafe surrounding the course, signs of suspicious activity on the course, etc. I conducted daily counts of the weights in the gym as well as all of the exercise equipment.
The exercise equipment in the exercise facility is expensive equipment; therefore it was essential for none of the equipment to be deemed missing. I unlocked any doors that were necessary to unlock every morning, and would then lock those doors again before leaving in the afternoon. I created new gym safety signs so that guests knew the rules while they exercised in the exercise facility. I observed the guests in the gym on a daily basis to make sure they used exercise equipment properly so that they did not injure themselves.
I also gave multiple speeches to groups of golfers that used the golf course throughout the course of my internship. Every group that visited the golf course thanked me for my time in providing them with the rules and safety regulations prior to them using the course. Being the security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch required strong and effective communication skills, and dealing with different people on a weekly basis strengthened my communication skills tremendously. I was faced with some circumstances over the course of my internship where my First Aid training came in handy.
I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to take the First Aid course prior to my internship so that I could put the skills I learned in class to use throughout the course of my internship. I am also very happy that I had the opportunity to put other educational courses to use throughout the internship. I believe that learning about hazards and threats prior to the internship helped me as well. I was able to identify things that posed as a safety hazard several times throughout my internship, and I can only thank my education from Vincennes University for this.
Prior to taking courses through Vincennes University relating to Homeland Security and Public Safety, there is no way I would have been able to identify certain safety and security issues like I did during my internship. I feel that I have benefited from my education at Vincennes University tremendously. The fact that I learned certain things from prior courses helped me on a daily basis because after the very first day of my internship, I felt that I was completely ready to take on the role as the security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch.
The benefits I received during the course of my internship were only benefits that affected me personally. Being able to help people on a daily basis has had nothing but a positive impact on me and my life. I know that the field of Homeland Security and Public Safety is the field for me. I benefitted each and every day while serving as the security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch. On a daily basis guests would remind me how good of a job I was doing and how well I presented myself.
Every week at least one person would comment on how safe the environment felt at Elk Ridge Ranch. These types of comments only made me feel stronger about my internship and also helped strengthen my role as security guard. I felt welcomed on a daily basis, and I have never been told “thank you” so many times in my life on a daily basis. Dealing with different people from all over the United States was very beneficial as well. I got the chance to meet people from different ethnic groups and backgrounds, and this was very beneficial to me.
All of the experiences and observations during my internship fell hand in hand with theories and concepts that I have been exposed to in the classroom. I tried to implement as much of my education as I could while serving as security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch. I felt that I was dealt a lot of responsibility throughout the internship, and it benefitted me tremendously. I feel that all of the theories and concepts that I have been exposed to in the classroom prepared me to provide a safe and secure environment for all of the guests that visited Elk Ridge Ranch throughout my internship.
All of the experiences throughout the course of my internship were far beyond what I had dreamed they would be. I have no objective recommendations pertaining to improving the internship program. The only thing I must say is that I truly hope that future Homeland Security and Public Safety students take their internship seriously and that they benefit from their internship as much as I have. I feel that my internship was very unique being that I got to deal with different people from all over the United States each week.
I feel that this internship has benefitted me in a way that will lead to me being successful no matter where I end up or which path I choose to go down. Being that I had so much success with my internship, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the internship program and I hope that the entire Homeland Security and Public Safety program grows over the coming years. All of the experiences throughout my internship have had very positive impacts on my future goals in public service or homeland security.
The internship made me realize just how much I get out of this type of work and I hope that this can help lead to a career pertaining to this type of work. All of the comments I received throughout the internship made me realize how rewarding this field of work can be. I feel that I worked hard at helping create a safe and secure environment each and every day throughout my internship, and I truly feel that each guest that visited felt very relieved that I was there to provide security throughout their stay.
I can’t count the number of times I was told “thank you” throughout my internship. I hope that this internship is just the beginning for a lifelong career in public safety or homeland security. I would recommend that any student wishing to intern as security guard for Elk Ridge Ranch to have strong interpersonal communication skills, be able to pay close attention to detail, work independently, and have a strong understanding of the tasks to be performed.
In order to be a good candidate for this internship, a student must be able to perform tasks in a thorough manner and also be very responsible. These two things are the two single most important things that I learned from interning as security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch. If I were looking into interning with this organization, I would look forward to all of the different people you will get to meet and provide security for, and also the overall satisfaction resulting from providing security for all of the people that visit Elk Ridge Ranch.
I have nothing but positive things to say about this organization, and if I were an individual looking for an internship that will lead to very positive outcomes, this would be the place to choose. I had a great summer interning as security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch. All of my experiences were nothing but beneficial and I feel that I have grown tremendously as a result of the internship. Each week I was able to create an environment that felt safe and secure to the guests, and every week someone would mention to me how well I was performing.
These types of omments helped me perform better on a daily basis and also helped give me a positive attitude every day while interning. I believe that if you put as much effort into whatever it is you are doing, you will get much more in return. This was definitely the case for me during my internship. I came to Elk Ridge Ranch every single day throughout my internship with a smile on my face and ready to take on the day. After my very first day, I knew that it was going to be a very rewarding internship and I also realized that I was far better prepared for the internship than I had thought.
I am truly grateful for this entire experience. Hopefully one day I will be able to look back on this internship and reflect on all of the experiences I had and be able to say that this internship helped lead me to where I am now. This internship has been one of the best experiences of my entire life. I hope that I left a positive impact on each individual that I provided security for throughout my internship, and I hope that they realize just how much I enjoyed ensuring their safety during their stay at Elk Ridge Ranch.
I believe that interning as security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch has helped me get a better understanding of the field of Homeland Security and Public Safety, and I also feel that it has helped me get a better understanding of my future as well. As I have previously stated, this internship was life changing for me, and I truly loved waking up each and every morning, driving to Elk Ridge Ranch, and making sure that the individuals visiting the ranch were provided a safe and secure environment. I will never forget this internship experience, and I will always be grateful that I got to serve as security guard at Elk Ridge Ranch.
