One last shot

My office has several student interns this semester.  Normally, one or two is our limit.  For some reason, this semester we have five.  I think five.  It could be that we only have two and they move around real fast.

Even though graduation is still a month off, two of the interns have already completed their hours.  (They are sticking around to complete projects and because, hey, we're a cool place.)  Two interns are just fine . . . no complaints.  But one intern.  Sigh.  (imagine the song How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria playing softly in the back ground)

This young thing got started on the wrong foot, and now may have dug the hole around her so deep she may not recover.  First, she made herself unavailable for orientation sessions the other interns attended.  Then, when special, make-up sessions were scheduled we had a little "no show, no call" problem.  Finally, when she was pinned down for a time for orientation, she showed up 45 minutes late.  I'd given her supervisor permission to tell her to find a new placement.  But, her supervisor is a recent graduate of the same program and wanted to help out.  Also, we have always gotten good interns from the professor who supervises this program, and we wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Despite expectations for office deportment being covered in orientation, this child consistently shows up late, frequently misses her scheduled hours, and dresses like she is either going to be lounging on her own couch or headed to a night club immediately after work.  On a day when she was scheduled to meet with a client, she was in sweat pants.  One day this week, she showed up in jeans that were a) super tight and b) had slits all the way up the front of her legs with the widest cuts being very high on her thighs.

With just 3 weeks left in the semester, she still has 1/3 of her hours left to complete.  She has left early, or been sent home due to inappropriate dress, everyday this week.

I'm giving her one last shot to wow me.  I got a call from a professor at the local university looking for a speaker for her class next week.

I've told intern that this is her opportunity to wow me.  The class is in her major, and I believe intern has taken a class with this professor.  If she knocks it out of the park, she just might pass her internship.  If she fails miserably, then when I flunk her professors in her own department will say it was justified.

I'm making up my own presentation, just in case.