We are officially halfway through this internship, and I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. While I feel like I have learned so much during my time with UME, I still find myself experiencing something new every day. This week was no different. From helping with an FFA State Convention to playing with goats at a local family farm, this week was filled with new knowledge and perspectives.
On Monday, I completed office work and added some of the finishing touches to my canning presentation. Then, we sent my presentation to a few different UME offices to get more feedback and suggestions. This tied in nicely with one of our previous Weekly Connections, as I had to be flexible with the feedback and the project’s overall objectives.
With Tuesday came an environment that I was personally unfamiliar with. Even though I grew up in a farming community, I was never a member of FFA. I had many friends throughout high school who did FFA, but I don’t think I fully understood the intensity and dedication that goes into these conventions. The FFA State Convention hosted in Garrett County introduced me to a whole new community. I was assigned to be a group leader and show kids around the barns, but I felt like I should have been the one learning from them. It was clear to see how hard these kids had worked to become experts in their fields, and I found their dedication to be very inspiring. These kinds of days are some of my favorites with this internship, as I am constantly being placed in new situations and having to learn how to adjust. While it can sometimes be challenging, it is also very eye-opening to see different things that are happening in my own backyard.
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| An image from the FFA State Convention. I learned so much through this experience! |
Wednesday was a more typical day for me, as I was back in the office. I assisted in hosting a webinar regarding financial wellness and the journey of starting a nonprofit. This was a very useful experience, as it showed me new methods for hosting a meeting and the work that goes on behind the scenes. It also opened my eyes to various accessibility features and considerations on Zoom.
Throughout the day on Thursday, I was questioning whether this was truly my real job or if I was simply dreaming. My mentor and I drove to Garrett County to meet up with Ashley, the Senior Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator. We took a trip to her farm and garden to record a video for the Master Gardener page. I got to pet baby Jersey calves and play with baby goats, which felt more like a fun adventure than actual work. We also saw many gardening techniques being used, including a high tunnel and a greenhouse setup. By far the most interesting experience of the day was getting to play beekeeper and open up a bee hive box. I got to put on a full bee suit and learn all about personal beekeeping. I gained a lot of new knowledge from this event and a potential future hobby as well.
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| An image of me feeding a baby goat on Ashley's farm. The goats were very friendly and food-motivated. |
Finally, I rounded out the week by tabling at a local farmers' market with one of our Master Gardeners. This was a fun way to meet people in my community and share more information about Extension. Overall, this internship has placed me in many settings that I never imagined myself in before. This has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and gain much more knowledge about diverse topics.
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