Center Stage at Cisco: How Interns Are Seen and Celebrated

[ad_1] This submit was authored by Abinaya, a 2025 intern on the Failure Evaluation Crew. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-476364 alignright" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG-20250522-WA0019-scaled.jpg" alt="Woman standing on front of large Cisco sign in an office building." width="445" height="594" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG-20250522-WA0019-225x300.jpg 225w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/FfCHdzEK-IMG-20250522-WA0019-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG-20250522-WA0019-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG-20250522-WA0019-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG-20250522-WA0019-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px"/>

I believed an internship meant staying behind the scenes — till Cisco put me middle stage, mic in hand, with leaders cheering me on.

What occurs when an intern isn’t simply welcomed however celebrated? If you’re not simply given duties, however trusted with a voice? My Cisco journey wasn’t confined to a desk or display screen — it put me within the highlight, not simply as soon as, however twice inside two to a few months of becoming a member of as a Failure Evaluation Technical Intern beneath Provide Chain Operations (SCO). I didn’t simply contribute to initiatives — I used to be seen, heard, and trusted in methods I by no means imagined doable as a newcomer.

In a band alongside eight different interns, I had an opportunity to carry out stay music on the World Manufacturing Operations and Provide Chain Operations Gross sales and Logistics Management (GMO & S&L) all arms assembly the place we sang, and performed devices like cajon and guitar, wanting into the viewers as high leaders of Cisco cheered on us, not simply as interns, however as artists. It was a second the place Cisco mentioned, “We see you.”

Performing in entrance of the management group was a surreal combine of pleasure and disbelief. Only a few weeks into my internship, there I used to be — on stage, guitar strings buzzing, surrounded by fellow interns, in entrance of a few of the high minds of Cisco. In that second, all I might suppose was, “How unbelievable is it to be in a spot the place even the most recent voices are heard and celebrated?” That efficiency wasn’t only a musical reminiscence — it was the second I actually felt like I belonged.

However that wasn’t all. A couple of weeks later, the mic was symbolic, however simply as highly effective.

I hosted an industrial go to for college students from my faculty, the place I welcomed numerous Cisco leaders who had been additionally alumni, my juniors, and interviewed my seniors who had already transitioned from campus to company to assist the juniors perceive what the leap from faculty to profession seems like, in addition to sharing my very own story of transition as an alumna.

All the pieces was full circle — standing at Cisco, not as a customer however as a number for my faculty juniors. I felt a deep sense of delight, pleasure, and gratitude . Only a 12 months in the past, I used to be of their footwear — impressed by this setting. And now, I used to be the one welcoming them, guiding them, and sharing my journey. It felt like my likelihood to offer again, to be the voice I as soon as regarded as much as. Extra than simply internet hosting, it was about inspiring, connecting, and making a bridge <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-476362 alignleft" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-scaled.jpg" alt="A group of Cisco interns standing together for a group photo. " width="542" height="305" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-300x169.jpg 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-768x432.jpg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/08/IMG_20250425_115009-scaled.jpg 2560w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px"/>between the place we got here from and the place we’re headed. I felt really empowered as a result of Cisco trusted me to steer, symbolize, and have fun this significant second

These moments weren’t a part of a job description. They weren’t assignments. They had been born out of Cisco’s perception in individuals. It speaks volumes about Cisco’s tradition of belief, openness, and real human connection.

At Cisco, I wasn’t only a line in an org chat. I used to be a part of a narrative — my very own story — and Cisco handed me the pen. I didn’t simply find out about expertise or enterprise right here. I realized that when persons are trusted, they rise. And I’ll carry that lesson with me effectively past this internship.

These alternatives weren’t simply occasions — they had been experiences that confirmed me what it means to develop in a spot that empowers, trusts, and celebrates its individuals, regardless of how new they're. Cisco didn’t simply let me be a part of the tradition — it let me create it. That’s the Cisco distinction. If that is just the start, I can’t wait to see what’s subsequent.