Wow, being a Rising Star Intern in Region 1 has taught me a lot! I came into this internship expecting all my previous experience working in education and programming to have prepared me. While my prior knowledge of curriculum comes in handy, I find myself learning new topics more than just building off of previous knowledge. I have been able to challenge myself at this internship by exploring subjects I have limited experience in. Never did I think that I would learn to garden or even enjoy it. I am already brainstorming new recipes that I can incorporate into my diet back at Iowa State University with all the new vegetables I have been able to try this summer. At PoP (Power of Produce) Club in Rock Rapids, we taste tested kohlrabi with the kids and many children had never tried it. Just like many of them, I had never tried this vegetable either. I have enjoyed getting to learn new things right alongside the kids all summer!
While I do feel out of my element at times beca
use I have limited knowledge of gardening or planting, I find that it has been beneficial for me to tackle things that I am unfamiliar with. It has taught me to listen better and be comfortable with asking questions. This has allowed me to reflect on areas within my communication skills I can improve on. One thing I have become better at is multi-tasking. While I still understand that my brain prefers to dedicate itself to one thing at a time, I recognize that I won’t always have things set up this way. Having multiple programs to run each week with different lessons to plan has helped me recognize how I need to improve my multi-tasking skills. I have made it a goal for myself to work on this throughout the summer, so that I can work better both as an individual and alongside my team.
As we reach the halfway point of our time working as Rising Star Interns, we look forward to becoming even more involved within the communities we work with. Please keep checking in to see our progress as we move forward this summer!
– Maddie