Barring a string of wins by the Bandits that gets them far enough that they host a playoff game, Saturday night marked my last day on the job as an intern with the Buffalo Sabres. It’s bittersweet, for sure, but I’m thankful for the opportunity that it provided me this semester and the opportunities it could end up providing me in the future.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I signed on. My summer internship had been like a full-time job; I worked 40 hours, five days a week. But now I was going to have to manage the internship with not only my classes, but my duties at the Griffin and my actual job. Right off the bat, however, I realized that as long as I fulfilled my expectations to the best of my ability then I would be in good shape. The amount of time required of me turned out to be very manageable.

I do believe I left an impression on my supervisors. I did my best to take their assignments and think of ways to expand on them; I believe I was rewarded with the amount of Sabres game coverage I was eventually assigned throughout the season. The job certainly left an impression on me, too — it’s definitely interesting for a kid from Buffalo to frequently be in the same room as Rick Jeanneret. I really enjoyed meeting the great people in my department and other departments during my time there.

The best thing that came out of my internship, I think, is the letter of recommendation I received from my supervisor, who wrote that he has no doubts that I’ll be successful in my career. That’s comforting and reaffirming to hear from a professional in the business, and I’m glad that it means I did my job well.