During a commencement speech to Stanford University in 2005, Steve Jobs said, “Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith.” For me and many others, that brick came on the evening of November 13, 2006. Yesterday marks the fifth anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of our good friends and coworkers — Tom Dunphy, Eric Jacobs, Leslie O’Bannon, and Josh Trainor.

I never lost faith; the one thing that kept me going was the associates of Two Rivers Marketing. I knew we would be successful. I said this last year and I think it’s worth repeating … I know that Tom would be very proud and excited to see his dream of having an agency called Two Rivers Marketing continue on.

Take a moment to view this excerpt from the commencement speech that Steve Jobs made back in 2005. Hopefully there is a thought or quote that you can take away from this video and perhaps make something better in your life.

For those of us that knew Tom, you will remember that he felt Apple ruled the world. To Tom — Dell, HP, Gateway, and Microsoft didn’t even exist. I can only imagine the conversations Tom might be having with Steve Jobs right now.

In the past I have written about “remembering your dash” and I still believe that to be very important. Last night I found a new version of the dash poem that expresses some profound truths very beautifully.

The time I spent with these friends, and their untimely passing, will be forever etched in my mind.

The next chapter begins.

It’s that time of year again. The leaves have begun to change and the weather has taken a drastic turn. Schools are in full swing and holiday decorations line store shelves. But this year is different for me. Unlike every other year, this fall didn’t bring me back to school. For the first time in four years, my summer internship didn’t end with the summer, but has continued into the fall. The time I have spent at Two Rivers Marketing thus far has beaten all of my already high expectations. I’ve been fortunate enough to continue my time here and am excited about what my unknown future holds.

Each day this summer was a learning experience. No two days have been the same, which keeps me alert and on my toes. I was the first intern to work with a variety of departments in the agency, including public relations, account management and creative services. It was great to work with so many different people on a wide variety of projects. I learned more about what each team did and dug deeper into experiencing the clients we work with. A few of the things I worked on include media analysis, social media, quarterly reports, share of voice, project management and internal projects. I even designed an agency banner that was printed full scale at 6 feet tall!

Not only was I able to work at the agency, but I also became a part of the culture here as well. I took part in birthday celebrations, summer flex, griller Fridays and treat Tuesdays. I experienced a culture that reflects the passion the agency holds for the industry. I’ve truly been inspired by the people here and hope that someday I can pass along all that I have learned.

The summer has ended, but my time at Two Rivers Marketing continues onward. Only time can tell what the future holds, but my experiences have been a great beginning to my career. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship and hope to continue my time into something greater. All I have learned here will help me in my next career steps, whatever that may be. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. But this life is a continual learning experience and I intend to embrace each part to the fullest.

Editor’s note: Guest post by Lydia Metzger, who is currently an intern for Two Rivers Marketing.