Me pulling up plastic for a bio-solarization experiment on the Upper Marlboro Research Farm.
I have learned much about myself since I have started working for Extension. Firstly, I enjoy working with other people. There are many tasks that I have completed more effectively with the help of others. One example is stringing tomatoes. Stringing tomatoes is an activity that can be done alone, but I found it to be done with better quality when working with another person. While I focused on wrapping the twine around the stakes, another intern focused on holding the box of twine and pulling any tomatoes that were missed through the string. Teamwork is the dreamwork! Due to our collaboration, the tomatoes were strung near perfectly. If I completed this task alone, the finished product may not be as good.
Another thing I learned is that I prefer to take shorter more frequent breaks as opposed to longer less frequent breaks. When doing any type of work for Extension, I found that when I take shorter and more frequent breaks, I am more productive. Just taking a few moments periodically to recollect has helped me complete my assignments to the best of my ability. With less frequent longer breaks I found that I was less focused and inefficient with my work. In the future, I will take shorter, more frequent breaks to maximize my productivity.
I also learned I like a balance between desk work and hands-on work. In a normal week, I work two days in the Extension office, two days on the research farm, and one day from home. From home and at the research office I do a lot of desk work. This can include organizing and making excel charts, creating educational videos, or writing blog posts. At the research farm we do a lot of hands-on work. This can include pulling weeds, pruning, planting, trellising, and more. I like this balance because I never get tired or bored from doing one thing. I can challenge myself in many different respects. I hope I can achieve that in my future careers.
Overall, I am thankful I can take part in this internship. I have learned so much about myself. My strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Through this experience, I can deep dive into who I am as a person, student, and leader.
Alan helping to set up a shot for a video on a farm in Bel Alton, Maryland.
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