It’s crazy how close we are to the end of the fellowship. It feels like just yesterday was my first day here! This week, we hosted a group of 3rd-5th graders from the Homes for Families Foundation with Mr. D (Dwayne McGrath, Assistant Director) for mini camps on Tuesday and Thursday. I helped out with camp and mainly prepared the lunches. On Tuesday, we ordered pizza, so there wasn’t much to set up. However, Thursday was a different story, as we had a taco bar. My boss Sandy cooked nine pounds of meat in a crockpot, and I chopped up lettuce and arranged the other ingredients. It was all worth it because this group of kids was the sweetest, most engaged, and appreciative group we’ve had.

On Tuesday, we went macro netting, where many kids caught fish and did a craft with our resident artist. It was heart-wrenching to hear some kids say they didn’t have a home to take their crafts to. This goes to show the importance of nonprofits like the Homes for Families Foundation, which provides housing and social services to homeless families with the goal of empowering them to achieve stable housing and self-sufficiency. I’m grateful for the opportunity to meet these kids and learn more about the organization that provides them incredible opportunities that they would not have otherwise had.

Thursday’s highlight was partnering with Metro Parks for a rock-climbing session. Almost every kid made it to the top without fear, and I loved encouraging them and seeing their smiling faces. We have four more mini camps with Mr. D in the coming weeks, and I can’t wait to meet the other groups of kids.

My biggest accomplishment this week was my work on the sponsorship package. I had a meeting with Leigh Ann (Center Director) and Sandy, who gave me valuable feedback on what to change, including condensing it and highlighting the sponsorship’s impact. After several drafts, I managed to reduce the nine-page document to three pages. Initially, I felt unmotivated to keep revising the sponsorship because, as a student, I’m used to doing one or two drafts and submitting it. However, this experience taught me that in the real world, nothing is perfect on the first try, and it takes time and practice to get things right. I hope to receive more feedback on this draft so I can tweak it more and hopefully send it out before my time here ends.

Another notable event this week was leading a green infrastructure tour with Sandy for Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. This was my first time leading a tour, and Sandy and I were initially hesitant to do it since the group already knew about green infrastructure. However, after rehearsing a few times, the tour went well, and the group of about 15 people had a great time. I even learned about some of the center’s green features I didn’t know about, including a bioswale, a former wetland, and a graffiti art piece titled “Erica” that was saved from when this area was a warehouse district and impound lot before being transformed into the beautiful Scioto Audubon Metro Park and GIAC we know today. We took the group all over the building, explaining the green features and their benefits, including permeable concrete, the green roof, the rain chains reused from the warehouse district, geothermal wells, native plants in the gardens, and more. Reflecting on the tour, there were a few things I could have done differently, but I’m glad I got the experience and will be better prepared next time. This internship has taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things I’ve never done before. It’s definitely a crucial step in my career and is helping me gain confidence in my abilities.