"2016 went by so fast..." I'm like a broken record because I find myself saying this a lot lately. Work is great, school keeps me busy, and the internships have provided me with experiences I would have otherwise went without. I've enjoyed this year! Even though there have been times of stress with deadlines and often feeling behind - I wouldn't trade this year for anything.
As I'm writing this blog I'm trying to recap on the most memorable lessons I've gained this year. With the City of Fernandina Beach I got a "backstage view" of how local government works. I met some wonderful people and must say - they have the whole local public administration thing down to a tee. I've also been afforded the opportunity to intern with a local conservation non-profit, Wild Amelia - it's amazing what this non-profit has accomplished without having a physical location. Literally Wild Amelia operates off monthly meetings and communication alone - it's commendable!
I'm not completely sure it's possible to recap on grad lessons - most of the lessons learned came from research papers or PowerPoints. I've posted all of my major work to this site - it helps me keep track. But there is one broad lesson that I feel deserves attention. Government in the U.S. has a bad wrap. Often when I talk to people about school they immediately respond with a, “ugh…” or start to get a glazed-over glare. After this year I see the struggles of local, state, and federal governments and wish I could convince everyone I know and meet that public administration is honorable and at times, tough work.
Even though everything is copacetic in my bubble of a world - I’m looking forward to an end-of-the-year break. Thanksgiving and Christmas can’t get here soon enough. It’ll be a nice rest before my last year of grad school starts and before finishing my internship hours with Wild Amelia.
Who knows what 2017 will bring.
Until then I'm going to enjoy the break, craft a little here and there, and sleep in every morning!
Happy Holidays!
As I'm writing this blog I'm trying to recap on the most memorable lessons I've gained this year. With the City of Fernandina Beach I got a "backstage view" of how local government works. I met some wonderful people and must say - they have the whole local public administration thing down to a tee. I've also been afforded the opportunity to intern with a local conservation non-profit, Wild Amelia - it's amazing what this non-profit has accomplished without having a physical location. Literally Wild Amelia operates off monthly meetings and communication alone - it's commendable!
I'm not completely sure it's possible to recap on grad lessons - most of the lessons learned came from research papers or PowerPoints. I've posted all of my major work to this site - it helps me keep track. But there is one broad lesson that I feel deserves attention. Government in the U.S. has a bad wrap. Often when I talk to people about school they immediately respond with a, “ugh…” or start to get a glazed-over glare. After this year I see the struggles of local, state, and federal governments and wish I could convince everyone I know and meet that public administration is honorable and at times, tough work.
Even though everything is copacetic in my bubble of a world - I’m looking forward to an end-of-the-year break. Thanksgiving and Christmas can’t get here soon enough. It’ll be a nice rest before my last year of grad school starts and before finishing my internship hours with Wild Amelia.
Who knows what 2017 will bring.
Until then I'm going to enjoy the break, craft a little here and there, and sleep in every morning!
Happy Holidays!