Greetings folks!
My experience interning through Ogallala Commons has made a significant impact on me. Although each task given was diverse compared to the everyday tasks I face as an athletic trainer, I gained knowledge that will help me flourish as an individual in the career I am seeking.
One of the main projects that I was honored to contribute to was the Swisher County Picnic. Between helping decorate the float, updating the Facebook page, creating and mailing invoices to donors as well as collecting and depositing the donations, and creating and distributing Picnic Posters and tickets for the Picnic I broadened my horizons of how the Swisher County Picnic works. In my opinion, the most challenging part was designing the Picnic Poster and tickets. It took me several times and a little bit of frustration, but the end result turned out perfect. Below is the example of the Picnic Ticket I created and am very proud of.
Being a student athletic trainer, I obtain little experience working in an office environment. Once I become a full time athletic trainer, I will deal with a variety of paperwork and personal records of the athletes but as a student athletic trainer we gain little experience. My participation working in the Extension Office, Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Tulia have all given me knowledge of using different copy machines, computer programs, and different formats for specific items. It also allowed me to use my organizational skills to good use. Helping in the Extension Office, gave me the opportunity in helping with the three Newsletters given every month. The Chamber of Commerce helped gain knowledge about advertising and organizing for the Swisher County Garage Sale. Lastly, the City of Tulia increased my knowledge of the ordinances applied to the City of Tulia from the 1800’s to today. Below is a picture of the Swisher County Garage Sale sign I helped distribute around the community.
The Summer Reading Program, the Summer Lunch Program, and delivering Meals on Wheels were the most rewarding projects during my internship this summer. All three of these projects gave me the satisfaction of incorporating something that I have a passion for. The Summer Reading Program incorporated my passion for children along with my passion for reading. I had a great time helping encourage the children to read and use their creativity during the craft. The Summer Lunch Program incorporated my passion for children and health. I loved seeing the smiling faces of the children as they received their healthy lunch and as I did a hand washing presentation with them. Lastly, delivering Meals on Wheels incorporated my overall passion of helping those in need. I was truly blessed with great opportunities such as these three this summer.
My interaction with Ogallala Commons has been excellent. After going to the Orientation and participating in my hours at the Extension Office, City of Tulia, Swisher Memorial Hospital, Swisher County Library, and the Chamber of Commerce I was thankful that I made the decision to become an intern. Not only have I had a great experience with Ogallala Commons, but also with my supervisors Calley Runnels and John Villalba. I have known Calley for several years now due to 4-H and have always looked up to her as a role model. I did not know John before beginning this internship but I have enjoyed getting to know him and seeing the impact he makes at the Extension Office. Both Calley and John have made my experience with Ogallala Commons a memorable one. One of the interns I have been blessed to work with this summer is Colton Lundegreen. He brought laughter, fun times, and gave me a different perspective when needed. Colton has been a blessing and I am thankful that I have gained a friend throughout this internship. Below is a picture of Colton and I while helping out with the H2O Camp this summer.
