Episode 144 · May 14, 2024
Mackenzie Ann Moore, my daughter and intern
with Mackenzie Ann Moore, University of Arkansas student, intern for Sharing Passion and Purpose
43 min
Mackenzie Ann Moore, my daughter and intern
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with someone very special to me — my daughter and my star intern, Mackenzie Ann Moore. This is her second time on the podcast (my only returning guest!), and I loved every minute of it. We talk about her four years at the University of Arkansas, from finding her people in a sorority to switching her major from psychology on the premed track to international business with a Spanish focus.
Mackenzie gets real about the courage it took to walk away from a path that felt "empty" and lean into her God-given gifts and talents — including the Spanish she's spoken since her immersion school days in Tulsa and that first trip to Spain at age eleven. She shares her semester studying abroad at the University of Arkansas Rome Center, weekend adventures across Europe and Morocco, and the mindset shifts behind her real superpowers: time management and organization.
We also spent time on Fayetteville favorites, the "everything works out" belief that has carried her (spring break house disaster and all), and the exciting five-week internship she's headed to with L'Oréal in Panama — earned through three Spanish-speaking interviews. If you're a student, a parent, or anyone wondering whether to say yes to the adventure, I think you'll walk away encouraged. Keep going, friend.
Key takeaways
- It's okay to change your path — Mackenzie left premed psychology for international business when she realized she was working toward something that felt empty to her. Give yourself permission to rethink.
- Choose the versatile path that fits who you are. Pairing international business with lifelong Spanish gave Mackenzie options and confidence others in surface-level language classes didn't have.
- Plan your assignments around your life, not your life around your assignments. Getting things done early frees you to say yes to spontaneity — and it lowers the anxiety of procrastination.
- Being a little busier can make you more productive — but know when to rest. Mackenzie balanced two jobs, full-time studies, workouts, and friends by finishing her work first, then resting well.
- To get organized, go a little at a time — one drawer or one desk a day — and let go of what doesn't bring you joy. If it's just taking up space, make room for what you love.
- Say yes to the adventure. If you're even thinking about studying abroad, do it — a full semester abroad is a different, richer experience than a summer.
- Trust that everything works out, even when you can't see how. A spring break that started with getting kicked out of a rental turned into the best trip of the group's life.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome and intro to Mackenzie, my daughter and intern
- 02:00Four years at Arkansas: COVID freshman year, sorority, staying true to yourself
- 05:30Changing majors: from premed psychology to international business + Spanish
- 09:00How early Spanish immersion and Spain at age 11 shaped her path
- 12:30Studying abroad at the Rome Center and weekend travel across Europe
- 17:00Favorite places: Nice, Amsterdam, and Morocco
- 20:00Navigating trains and travel abroad with confidence
- 23:30Fayetteville favorites: coffee, outdoors, sporting events, and where to stay
- 27:30Highlight of college: study abroad (and the friendships along the way)
- 29:30Superpower #1: time management — plan assignments around your life
- 34:00Superpower #2: organization — a little at a time, keep what brings joy
- 37:30Advice she tells herself: everything works out (the spring break story)
- 43:00Summer internship with L'Oréal in Panama
- 46:30Advice for future interns and wrap-up
“Everything happens for a reason and everything always works out how it's supposed to — even if you didn't like it at first.”
“I plan my assignments around my life... I want to do what I want to do, and I do my assignment when I have time.”
“If you're thinking about studying abroad, do it. That's it. Just do it.”
“If it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it — that space could be used for something else you love.”
About Mackenzie
University of Arkansas student, intern for Sharing Passion and Purpose
Mackenzie is Nancy's daughter and her first intern. An international business major with a Spanish focus (and three minors) at the University of Arkansas, she studied abroad at the Rome Center and is headed to Panama for a five-week internship with L'Oréal. She's known for her organization, time management, and social media skills.
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