Hello, everybody! Today, I’d love to share a little bit about the work I was to complete for my apprenticeship, the goals we set at at the start of it, as well as how it tied into my internship from 2018.
Last summer, I took part in my first internship with Ogallala Commons and Amarillo Area Foundation. I had the opportunity to work with another intern named Dollie who had some experience with both of the organizations, and I was able to gain some useful skills learning alongside her. We worked on research centered around Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for each of the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.
This March, I met with Darryl, Clay Stribling, and Karoley Clay to discuss the possibility of a new internship and what the goals would be for it. Based on last summer’s research as well as AAF’s goals for the future, it was decided that the focal points for this summer’s research should be education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. We also decided that instead of completing an undergraduate internship, I would be completing an apprenticeship. As such, I would need to work a total of 500 hours throughout the summer.
Similar to last summer’s project, I would be completing my research on a county-level basis, focusing on the same 26 counties of the Panhandle. After completing thorough research in each of the three targeted areas, I would need to compile the data into a format that would enable individuals to easily sort it and compare values.
It was decided that since the research would be primarily completed through online sources, I would be able to work remotely. In order to stay on pace and keep Karoley and Clay informed on the progress that was being made, we would plan a meeting for every other week. This allowed me to work in Pampa and not commute an hour and fifteen minutes every time other week.
I can recall that I was thrilled to be working on a research project built upon the work of my previous internship. The three areas were relevant, interesting, and important to the well-being of every community in our region. As such, I felt a strong sense of purpose as I began researching.
