How I Spent My Summer: Ahmad Hamad

← Back to Blog July 5, 2011 by Grantmaking, Internship Program
Ahmad Hamad

Ahmad Hamad

For over thirty years as a forerunner in the Housing First Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners has raised and invested over $11 billion toward building communities all across America, and has built and restored more than 280,000 homes to date (14,000 of which are in Ohio).

Along with providing residents affordable and sustainable housing and mental health, recovery, and employment services, they offer numerous financial and supportive services to an array of clients. With the mission to excel in community development and assist citizens from all walks of life, Enterprise strives to help make life easier-especially during the country’s economic hardships-one step at a time.

June 7, 2011 was my first day at Enterprise. As my father drove me to work, I became a tad nervous about what to expect in terms of my duties for the summer, and also pondered the infamous first-day-on-the-job question: “Will they like me?” I took comfort in looking back at my final interview with Enterprise, remembered just how welcoming and laidback the staff was (including my interviewer who would later serve as my supervisor), and kept in mind that being myself has never failed me.

I was dropped off, got buzzed into the building by the administrative assistant Angelina, and went up to the third floor…only to face an unlit hallway as the elevator doors quietly opened. I chuckled and immediately text-messaged my friend, “Dude, this place is so sketchy!” Little did I know that the entire building was Green Building Certified (LEED), thus had motion sensitive lights, wall systems that maximize daylight, a recycling program, and a state-of-the-art geothermal HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system!

The lights suddenly flickered on as I walked down the corridor, and after opening the door to Enterprise, I was welcomed by my supervisor and Enterprise’s Program Director Beth Graham and met the majority of the staff a second time after being interviewed several months back. I got settled into my work station in Beth’s office and began to learn even more about the organization, which (in no time) led me to arrive at the conclusion that Enterprise truly is an under-acknowledged powerhouse in the national effort to end homelessness.

Put in simplest terms, I am tremendously honored to be working for such a powerful and innovative establishment, and am also humbled to have the immense opportunity of being surrounded by a diverse wealth of knowledge, expertise, and experience. It’s a pleasure to share that the remainder of the week turned out to be just as enriching and exciting as the first day and I will gladly take you through this interning adventure with me in weekly blog updates!

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Each week we use this space to give each of our interns a chance to reflect on their internship experiences. Placement: Enterprise Community Partners. School: Kenyon College.