I began my week in the office, learning the wonders of Concur, making travel requests, and helping in community gardens. Tuesday morning led me to a local master gardener project where they were planting a garden for one of our rehabilitation centers. Through this, I talked with the group and learned about the plants they had bought or grown just for this garden. It was really cool to see them in action, brightening up a space for the residents to visit.
My first time in College Park was nothing short of a great experience! During our time on campus, we had the opportunity to learn about several parts of the Agriculture School. Throughout the tour, we found our way to the fermentation lab, the campus farm, two stops in the campus greenhouse, and finished the two-day experience at the student-led garden. This was all alongside a couple of wonderful leadership development workshops and networking opportunities!
I really liked hearing about the other interns' experiences with formal leadership training and how they differed from what I had experienced in the past. I think listening to them gave me the means to think outside of what I was already familiar with. Leadership is a very broad topic that can be perceived and carried out in many different ways, and it is whatever style you feel fits you best. I will be honest in saying I had not thought much about my leadership philosophy in a formal sense until our workshop with Antonio. I always thought more about the style in which I would lead, which contributes heavily to our philosophies. Myle’s workshop challenged us to think about others' perspectives more, something we all know to do, just maybe are not the most conscious of. I enjoyed hearing and learning from both of them; they showed us ways to formally lead while also expressing the importance of putting others first. I feel I have always identified as a servant leader, leading by helping others find their strengths and helping them exemplify them. Throughout the internship, I get to jump in and help on projects and events to help my mentor and others in
the office reach their desired goals in an efficient manner.
Outside of our leadership workshops, I liked getting to visit the campus and see where some of my internship peers go to college. Our time at the greenhouse facilities opened my eyes to new things, such as their temperature-controlled chambers where they are able to replicate sunlight and keep crops at their desired climate. The many research projects were intriguing to see how much is still unknown about plant life. On the other side of the greenhouse, the aquaponics project was plentiful and really cool to see the use of tilapia in the tanks. Out of everything, I was most excited to learn about how they use the school farm. On the farm, they keep a flock of Katahdin sheep to run a breeding program alongside a few Nubian dairy goats for milking. The assistant farm manager talked to us about the uses of both species and how the college utilizes them.
Out of this experience, I can say that I am grateful to have met such an amazing group of young individuals that I share common interests.
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