Even though it is my first year at Temple, I have 44 credits. I am a sophomore. I have to start looking for internships if I want to even think about applying to medical school. When I search for internships online, I'm not qualified for a lot of them. Even if I am qualified for an internship, I get scared. I'm only 19 years old. I'm not supposed to be looking for internships yet. It all gets so overwhelming. I don’t even know where to start.

At a school like Temple, it's easy to feel invisible. Philadelphia is a huge (and sometimes intimidating) city. Going to a large school is great because you can meet a lot of people, but it also makes everything feel so competitive.

Students compete with each other. We want to know how we measure up to our peers. Doing this just discourages us from trying to get experience for our future careers. Internships also feel so out of reach. Many students ask themselves: How am I going to compete with thousands of students in Philadelphia?

The solution: Experience on campus and in the classroom. (AKA: Saxby's experiential learning program at Temple)

Saxbys is an impressive company that values the community. This Philadelphia-based company fulfills its goal of building community through experiential learning programs, where students can earn credit for working and managing a store. La Salle University and Drexel University have these programs, and Temple is the newest addition.

I decided to try it myself. I know I was excited to go to the new Saxbys - it is my favorite coffee place and will always be. Not only was it aesthetically pleasing, but it also was full of energy. The students were operating the store on their own, and they seemed to enjoy it. I ordered my new favorite - a salted caramel cold brew - and sat down to do homework. With coffee in my hand and contagious energy in the room, I felt like I could do anything. (Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I was really impressed by the store).

However, it's not just the taste of the coffee and energy that draws me in. There is something rewarding about helping students just like me. Students at Temple are getting experience running a business and providing services to others. Experience is so important, and on-campus, student-run initiatives like this make “gaining experience” less intimidating. Other colleges have student-run initiatives, but I have never heard of ones as large as Temple’s. The collaboration that companies and departments have had with students makes everything feel more personal.

That’s not all, though. I think the new Saxbys is a huge deal because it provides opportunities for students to gain experience in the field of hospitality. The opportunity is not only relevant to what students are learning in the classroom, but it’s also accessible. For some students, it’s literally right outside their dorms. Experience for our future careers is available right on campus.

Even though I am not a part of these initiatives, I feel like they are evidence that our voices aren’t as small as they may seem in a population of 20,000+ students. I am so proud to go to a school that works hard to help students reach their full potential and learn as much as possible before they enter the workforce.

I hope Temple continues to build its opportunities for students to gain experience on campus. I think it will really help students feel less intimidated by internships and jobs.

While we wait, I encourage you to visit the new Saxbys! Also, drink more coffee, Owls. We officially have TWO Starbucks and TWO Saxbys!