Monday June 6, 2022, marked my first day as a Columbus Foundation Fellow for the summer. Initially, I was completely lost trying to find this historic building’s entrance, but I found it eventually. It was wonderful meeting the other 15 fellows. During our meeting, we heard about the workshops we will be holding, as well as the fun activities we can do together. Our “about me” drawings were one of the highlights of the day, which we shared out to the whole group. In some areas, I found myself being able to relate to the fellows and learning a lot about each other’s backgrounds. Dr. Lomax has a humorous personality and I am looking forward to having him as our director this summer. SN: He plays the drums, and I have listened to one of his albums, if you have not already, please do. It’s inspiring.

Furthermore, I have completed my first week of training with Communities in Schools, my nonprofit site. During this week, I participated in a virtual training with five Site Coordinators that I will be working with this summer. Our discussion covered the mission and vision of CIS as well as examples that site coordinators might encounter when working with students. Although most of the information will not apply to me as a summer intern, I still gained valuable information when it comes to setting boundaries, knowing my roles and responsibilities, and interacting with students.

During the training, I met several Program and Site managers and learned more about some of the projects I’ll be working on this summer. I also learned what expectations are of me and how some planning will take place. I have been assigned a CIS laptop and will have my own email address, so it’s getting official. I am looking forward to a great 10 weeks this summer and being able to work directly with the community, students, and staff !