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  • Writer's picturekelsie dawe

Entry Four - June 26, 2020

As this week comes to a close, I struggle to comprehend how I have been working with Kikori for four weeks. The time has truly flown by and I can attest a large amount of this to the constant and ever growing laundry list of things to do. If I ever find a moment where I think I have finally caught up, or snagged a chance to get ahead, something else pops up. I’m beginning to grasp a few major points/lessons which are essential when working for a startup.


  1. The first key point I have come to understand is nothing is certain. All plans, even very concrete ones, consistently alter from their original idea, schedule, purpose, etc. Until an event transpired or true action is taken, I never trust that my tasks will be consistent from day to day.

  2. The second major takeaway has been understanding what you don’t know. I approached this internship role with semi-open eyes to learning a lot about startups, edtech, and daily operations of a small company along with the belief that I knew what I was talking about. It turns out I actually don't know what I'm talking about and I have so much to learn about everything there is a daunting cloud of untapped knowledge impatiently floating atop my head at all times. It is somewhat humbling to have this wave of both confusion and comprehension frequently take over and leave me with the overwhelming thought, “Wow, I don’t know anything. I’m just winging this whole thing and some people think I actually know what I’m doing.” I must believe (primarily for my own sanity) that I cannot be the only one who thinks this way and I do feel as though it sets a fire under a person to work harder, expand learning, and dive into a sea of unknowns.

  3. My final realization has been the importance of consistent reflection. Kendra always takes time out of the week for everyone to stop and reflect on what they accomplished, their hardships, and their future goals. Too frequently I have found myself going a hundred miles per hour in most things I do, but never taking a moment to stop and actively look back on my thoughts, actions, and intentions for the future. Especially while operating a startup, constant reflection is necessary to avoid mistakes, streamline important proposals, and realign your actions with the goals set in place.


An exciting aspect of the week has been the large amount of memorable meetings and events I had the chance to partake in. My exposure to several key individuals has been a largely shaping facet to my experience and I will always reserve a large amount of respect and gratitude for Kendra’s ability to network and connect with people of all backgrounds and motivations. I hope to further develop my own capacity for outreach and learn to utilize the people around me. I have come to value the importance in asking for help. Whether it be pride or self-doubt, leaning on individuals whose skills are more adept than your own, will not only aid - but catapult your success.


 

Kikori was fortunate to participate in World Unity Week, an 8-day celebration of global unity, beginning with the mid year solstice and heading towards the celebrations of the UN 75th anniversary. Friday's open stage session in the morning was hosted by Kikori, about our origins, goals, and future ambitions. Fellow Kikori interns and myself were responsible for interviewing Kendra and Bryn the co-founders. About halfway through the session we were "zoom-bombed" meaning internet trolls joined the call and screamed lewd comments over audio and within the chat. They even went so far as to use my name to type extremely inappropriate language within the chat (which was live-streamed on Facebook). The somewhat anxiety inducing experience was very memorable and everyone did a good job ignoring and moving on from the situation.

On a lighter note,Thursday morning, Kendra and I met up with Ian Grant, the Executive Director of the ECenter at UNH. It was very interesting to hear his perspective on Kikori and ways that I could personally utilize the ECenter all while walking along the beautiful New Hampshire coast. I am excited for the upcoming school year and the opportunities I hope to drive towards with all of the new individuals I am meeting this summer.



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