The internship is a great way to make new experiences as well as become engaged with the environment around us daily. As we go on field days I often look back to those days and connect it with new knowledge that I come across as everything connects like a puzzle. I’ve been able to think about more than just the community around me but the whole world. Also the community not just of humans but of living creatures such as wildlife and even bacteria. Things like littering and specific practices that harm our earth constantly run through my head when it happens in front of me because I’ve had experiences of mentors exposing the impact of those toxins.
I’ve learned I really like managing others because that’s what I was born to do. As this internship has greatly helped me practice these skills, I want to be a manager of something or help others succeed. I’ve learned empathy, patience, critical thinking, compassion, consideration for others, awareness of how my community is feeling, reading emotions and body languages, time management, communication with others, and redirection rather than rejection.
I have gained many skills through our work in the garden too such as regenerative agriculture practices, managing people, timesheet information, tool use, bed and soil management, plant identification, compost management, helping plant sales, guiding customers and customer service, event planning, painting, irrigation management, sustainable agriculture practices, crop management, precious hand weeding, and plant observation for health concerns. The internship is great and I hope for others to experience this wonderful community and space!
