Matthew Ritter, Intern at Elder Home Share
My name is Matthew Ritter, and I am going to be a second-year student at Villanova University, in Philadelphia, studying computer science. I was fortunate enough to get an internship at Elder Home Share for the Summer, and my experience has been amazing! Being a computer science major, most of my time has been spent developing a website, but I think I’ve come to really understand Elder Home Share and its goals. Working on the website has allowed me to know every part of the website. When I started working on it, I was intimidated and cautiously changed things before I started to understand it. By the end of the first week, I had a good grasp of the website, what needed to be done, and how to do it. Before doing this project, I only had experience working with school assignments, and I still can’t believe that I had the chance to work on a website that will be used for a real company.
Before I started working here, I had never heard of a company like Elder Home Share, but I quickly saw the benefits of it. Matching an older person who has trouble living on their own with a younger companion who needs somewhere to live is a great way to solve both of their problems. Not only that, but Elder Home Share also connects people and creates new friendships between them. In other words, everyone wins with a situation like this!
Working one on one with the founder of the company, Saoirse Sheridan, has shown me that she not only cares for her business but also for the well-being and happiness of her customers with their matches. I always hear her on the phone checking up with matches and ensuring that everything is going well. The most important part of the internship, in my opinion, is that it shows me how a business runs from the head down. It’s a perfect demonstration of what it takes, and how an entrepreneur needs to act and think to become successful, which is an invaluable experience for me. Overall, I am so glad that I was given a chance to work here and learn more about Elder Home Share.
If you're interested in Elder Home Share visit the website at elderhomeshare.ie to register!
