The Internship

Two things come to mind when I think about my internship:  the the various things that had nothing to do with it directly that touched me and the intensity of the experience.  This post is very late but once you are in the moment it is so much to take in and process that the experience is exhausting in the most fun and productive way.  That comment should not scare anyone away from the opportunity though because it was worth every ounce of effort.

My internship at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh with Dr. Stephanie Schuttler took on many aspects that I did not expect but enjoyed the whole time.  I found traveling on a daily basis brought about challenges unique to my experience.  Traveling between Durham and Raleigh I knew going into the opportunity was going to be rough.  The traffic was horrendous.  I found the time good from the stand point that I had time to process the day in route before coming home to my family.

I saw the same lady each morning and afternoon at the parking deck cashier booth.  I began to feel so connected to her that I recognized her in the cafe at lunch time and we would wave and acknowledge one another.  It may sound crazy but I strongly believe one of the things that should drive someone to education is relationships.  If not, you will not be successful because it is an aspect of the job that cannot be taught.  This instant connection with my park attendant made me think about this aspect of teaching.  She was so happy to oblige me on a request for a selfie on my last day at the Museum.  Either that or she was happy to see me go and I am going with the more positive thought.

My time in the Museum was such a great bonding experience.  Looking through my pictures from the first day it brought back a feeling of fascination with working in such an engaging environment.  From the first moments you start to feel like you are a part of the museum family.  I came in early before the public came in and walk by the staff with a wave each day.  The cafe staff took such good care of us each day.  It was like finding a new home in the community.Meeting weekly with the scientists and the Museum staff made that sense of family and support stronger.