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Me and the other members of my cohort at the University of Maryland.(I am in the middle wearing a black shirt)As a student already attending the University of Maryland, I was not expecting to learn so much about UMD’s campus during the tour. It turns out there is so much to it! First, I learned that we have a comprehensive greenhouse that is operated year-round. I was introduced to many new technologies. It was interesting to see how complex greenhouses can be, and how much is done to regulate its climate. Also, on the tour, I learned what the inside of a lot of buildings look like. The plant science and landscape architecture building is one example; I have always passed by it, but never saw the interior. As a student I only went into buildings for classes, extracurriculars, etc., but this tour has allowed me to see many aspects of campus I may have never seen otherwise. There were many highlights to the campus tour. I had the privilege of meeting some AGNR faculty and staff, it was really intriguing to network and hear about their responsibilities and career focuses. Another was seeing the aquaponics lab for the first time. It was interesting to hear nutrients from goldfish waste being used as food for plants. Seeing all the technology was exciting. The greenhouse is another highlight of my campus visit. It was cool learning about the type of plants and research that is done there. Lastly, the leadership training is another highlight of the campus tour. It encouraged us to self-reflect and learn more about what type of leaders we are. The activities were thought-provoking and impactful. After the campus tour, I gained more clarity of my career path. I liked to see how plants and technology integrated, and knew I chose the correct career path. Seeing green roofs, greenhouses, and aquaponics all solidified my interest in green technology, environmental engineering, agricultures engineering, and sustainable design. This is one of the reasons I am so grateful for the campus tour, it feels nice knowing what I want to do in my career at such a young age. One aspect of agriculture that I hope to learn more about is aquaponics. Going into the lab, I had no idea what aquaponics is. I quickly learned that it involved goldfish and plants and the cycling of nutrients between them. It was interesting to see how the technology operated. Leaving the lab, I had a lot more questions: What type of fish can be used for aquaponics? Is it sustainable? How large can an aquaponics system be? Can certain fish as well as plants be harvested? Aquaponics has sparked a curiosity within me, and I hope to learn more.
 Me and other interns learning about the University of Maryland Greenhouse.
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