By: Rocelyn Miller
I really enjoyed my apprenticeship this year. Since it was my second year, I felt more knowledgeable and helpful. It didn’t take as long for me to ease into working at the Development Corporation.
My favorite part of my internship was my coworkers. They made me always want to be at the office. They are great people who always have a positive attitude. They make events and projects more fun. I will miss the working environment at the Development Corporation.
The biggest highlight of my internship was the Makerspace. The Makerspace just opened this summer. It is a place for anyone to come and make whatever project they would like. The Makerspace is run by REWA, which is the organization that I worked with the most. REWA stands for Rural Education and Workforce Alliance. This organization was created to bring education to our community so that we can grow our workforce. There are so many materials and machines to help them create projects. This is a place for small businesses and entrepreneurs to create things to help promote their business or just for regular people who want to make a shirt, banner, poster, ect. I got to help set the makerspace up and learn how to use all of the machines. I have created so many cool projects and gotten to see what others create as well!
Another highlight of my internship was the smoke alarm installation in our city. Our CHAD program, Community Housing Association of Dodge City, along with the fire department, installed free smoke alarms into houses of people in need. This was a great way to give back to our community and keep people safe.
The three goals that I set for myself were to obtain better communication skills over the phone, to take on a project by myself, and to meet more community members. I’d say I achieved all of these goals. I did have to make a lot of phone calls during my internship, which went very well. I also achieved my leadership goal. I took over the Dodge City Has Jobs Website and will do contract labor with the Development Corporation to keep it running after my internship. I also met so many new community members and learned more about what they do in Dodge City.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to have worked for the Development Corporation for two years. I have learned so much about my community and myself. I will definitely miss it.
