I can’t believe the DCERP program is almost over! To be honest, the time has flown by. I didn’t take any classes this summer, and even though it’s still early July, I’m already starting to feel the pressure of coming back to campus in the fall. I find myself thinking about returning to classes more and more often, which I guess is a sure sign that it will be here before I know it.
With that in mind, I just wanted to reflect a bit on how I’ve grown so far working with Great Lakes Now. A good example that comes to mind is an experience I had today.
Great Lakes Now does what are called headline roundups, which are basically collections of articles from other news sources about different topics. We do roundups on drinking water, PFAS, and energy; that way, people who are interested in learning more or “catching up” on those issues can find useful news and information all in one place. As an intern, I am responsible for putting a roundup together every week or so. My first assignment at GLN was putting a PFAS roundup together. I remember I was really nervous that I would mess it up, and it took me almost the whole day to put it together. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it definitely reflected my inexperience. Today, my supervisor asked me to put together another roundup, and I was able to complete it in about an hour. Now, I certainly wouldn’t call myself experienced, but that is definitely progress!
I think that story is a reflection of how the program has gone for me so far. I really feel like I’m settling in and learning the ropes. I definitely know more than I did when I started, and I look forward to seeing what I have accomplished when we’re done!
That’s awesome Noah! Now I understand the giraffe analogy from our ice breaker today! I can tell you are growing and learning a lot from working with Great Lakes Now – keep it up!
It is crazy to me how time has flown by. My first day for my internship sometimes feels like it was only a week ago, but now, we are approaching the end.
Good for you for making such great progress! It can be so interesting to think about how you were at the beginning of an experience compared to how you are at the end of it.