Hey Everyone, 

Glad to see the interns thriving in their roles. Work is picking up from the NPO office in DC as our team is handed more individual tasks. At some point this August, ill be coordinating with multiple regions. I heard a lot of interns from a USDA convention talk about how this was their first “big boy/big girl” position, and I couldn’t agree more with them. A lot more complex work is coming in, but with it follows opportunity. The job tasks will provide exposure which can net job opportunities at the end of the internship.

I’m looking forward to what comes across me in the future.

As for now, I am making sure people know who I am by visiting the DC office. I had a great conversation about motorcycles with someone who I later found out was the chief of the forest service!! My mentor couldn’t stop laughing as I sat there shocked at the fact that I was speaking to someone so important without a care in the world. My initial thoughts are that everyone is very welcoming and approachable.

I even noticed that people outside the forest service were ready to come talk and provide advice for the city. A stranger told me that there are motorcycle parking spaces all over the city that charge nearly nothing for parking and are always open. Someone else from the library of congress told me that he canoes from where I live to the National mall. I plan to buy a canoe and row to Yates one day and see how its like.

I am looking very looking forward to what will come next and coordinating with other regions for their GIS projects.