By Estelle Bah
My name is Estelle Bah and I have been working at PMG for a year and a half now. I am an extended-time intern, which means that I work year round. Not many college students with a choice will choose to work during the school year, but I am lucky I did. I originally interviewed for PMG for the same reason every student gets an internship (to be a more competitive candidate post-grad) but I stayed for different reasons.
Although I did not meet any of my colleagues for nearly a year after I started, nor had I even been to the office, I always felt like I was a part of the PMG family. Of course, as PMG’s first intern, I received a lot of love when I took tasks off of my colleagues’ plates, but it was more than that. I knew they wanted to help me too. When I have exams or busy weeks, they return the favor. They work around my college student hours, even though they have their own responsibilities. They gave me advice, an esteem boost when I needed it, and a lot of words of encouragement.
Beyond my having wonderful colleagues, I also stayed because it made me more proactive. As a former procrastinator, you could never have convinced me that taking more on would make my life easier. However, I quickly learned that if I did not have time to procrastinate, I would eventually stop. My “I’ll do it later” mindset rapidly became a “The earlier I do this, the earlier it is done” mindset. With the help of my PMG mentor, Chelsea McClain, I found organizational tools that facilitated this mindset.
Finally, I know money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy peace of mind. I am currently studying abroad in Barcelona, and without the income I receive from PMG, I would not have been able to enjoy my time here nearly as much. I am the daughter of a single mother who has sacrificed a lot for me to be where and who I am. As she reminds me often, she can never say no to me, but my sophomore year of high school, I decided she should not have to pay for non-necessities. Thanks to PMG and the flexibility of my hours, I don’t have to think twice before a coffee or a pizza. It may seem silly, but handling my own finances helps me be independent and self-sufficient as well as responsible. Now I am in Barcelona, having experiences I could never have dreamed of (or afforded) without PMG. Watch my day in the life on our TikTok (@pmglive) or any of the socials linked below!
