Final Reflections of My Internship

When I began my internship 10 weeks ago, I gave myself six broad goals that I wished to accomplish during my time. I believe that I have met these goals, and I hope to continue building my knowledge of Extension from now on.

1. To obtain a better understanding of 4-H youth development programs in NW Ohio.
My previous history of 4-H YD programs was limited to my own home county, and what anyone else could have provided me. Now, given the chance to work with another county (and the outlying counties) I have a more broaded scope of what I can do as a 4-H educator. There are many programs that each county holds unique to their own. These programs make a county special and help to understand how demographics play a role in what programs are most successful.

2. To view a different demographic other than my hometown.

The demographics of Allen county are quite different that that of my home county. They have a broad range of city to farm people in which all must be reached by extension. These demographics helped to remind me that 4-H isn't just about cows and sewing anymore, it's much much more!

3. Learn from my county educator about the pros and cons of being an educator.

I did learn many pros and cons of being an educator for extension. I think the biggest con is that your job can often rely on county funding, or the willingness of others to donate. It is not recognized as a job well done, but just a job completed. For me, the pros of the job are something I could list. I loved working with non-traditional youth in the ASP programming, and I also loved the flexibility in working from home, or in other enviroments other than the typical office.

4. Form a professional portfolio that I will be able to use once I enter the job market.

My portfolio is almost complete at this point, with as many artifacts that I could find to compliment my time spent with the office. Once edited, it will also contain a program plan for officer trainings, and a philosophy of my teching.

5. Build a better understanding of real program development.

Building programs is one thing, but real educational programs are something that take great care and knowledge. Mark was able to help me get in the middle of many programs with youth in different situations. Some where spur of the moment, and others (think officer training) were planned over the course of my time at the office.

6. Learn more about what it means to be a part of a real office for a small amount of time.

Learning how to deal with the many office personalities was someting that I was expecting. The office I worked in was very open and welcoming to learning about me, as much as I was interested in learning about them. I feel that I did everything I could to make the people I worked with enjoy my time in their office. I hope that they feel the same. I learned a great deal from the people I worked with, and I was given the chance to see many expertises in one enviroment.

My internship with Mark and his office has given me a 10 week snippet of what it is like to work in Extension. The small time has given me hope that I will one day be able to work as an Educator in a county. I have also been blessed with many networking opportunities, and increaased knowledge in technology and it's role for future educators. I do hope to keep in touch with my internship county, and continue my learning and networking as I finish up my coursework.