My name is Akhona Bhengu and I’ve recently become a marketing intern at Casart Coverings. I am a senior at TC Williams High School and will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall. I will be majoring in public relations with a minor in marketing and entrepreneurship. Some interesting things about me are that I love watching Netflix and The Bachelor. I love traveling, and DECA and entrepreneurship are my favorite school activities.
I’ve never been one to stay in one place. In my life, I have moved around quite a bit. I was originally born in South Africa. Then I moved to Georgia when I was 5 and moved around in the state of Georgia to different cities. Then when I was 12, I moved to Alexandria, VA and in the fall I will be moving to Richmond in college.
Moving around has helped prepare me for life in Richmond when I move away for college. So for those of you going off to college and looking for ways to find comfort, here’s some advice.
- Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone
- If you keep doing the same things and the same routine because you know you like it, you won’t ever grow. You won’t get live out your full experience if you are doing the same things.
- Network
- I can’t stress enough how important networking is. That doesn’t mean just networking for business purposes only. Network with people who have the same interest as you, such as people you meet in your classes or even people that you meet at a cafe.
- Be proactive
- Get the full college experience. Although the entire purpose of going to college is to get an education, there’s more to it than that. If you’re more active on campus, it makes a difference. That’s when your comfort level rises. Join clubs, go to a sports game, or even join The Bachelor watch parties.
- Decorate your dorm in a way that will make you comfortable
- When moving to a new place, something as simple as the way your room looks can help you find some level of comfort. So decorate your room in a style that would fit your comfort level. For example, if you really love the beach, then a room with ocean colors and pictures would make you the most comfortable like the one below. For instance, consider personalizing your space with a customizable mural like below or a photographic one.
A World Map Mural from Casart Coverings can go on the ceiling or the wall. You can view all the places you you’ve traveled and even make note of them on the mural.
As someone who has a love and passion for traveling, I wanted to share my experience with how to find comfort to in a new place, even if you’re only staying for a week. Some places that I have traveled to are California, New York, Florida, France, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
The photos above were captured at DECA nationals this year in Anaheim, California. I was with students in the DECA club and the entrepreneurship class at TC Williams. DECA is a marketing club that helps to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. This past year I was vice president of the DECA chapter at my school and able to compete at the state and national level in the entrepreneurship promotion project.
Being in DECA and being a part of the entrepreneurship class has helped me open my mind and step out of my comfort zone. Before joining those two organizations, I was really reserved and not a very social person. However, now that I’ve been involved with these programs, I’m more comfortable in a new setting with new people and I enjoy networking with others. DECA and entrepreneurship have also influenced my career decisions. The organizations have a marketing aspect to them and inspired me to want to learn more about marketing in college and through this internship at Casart Coverings.
I am excited to share my passions and past experiences with you and also my future plans. Without entrepreneurship and DECA, I would not have been interested in marketing and probably wouldn’t be interning at Casart Coverings. For those organizations, I am thankful for them and the experiences and for all wonderful people I’ve met.
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