Tuesday, 24 Sep 2002

ST. PAUL, Minn.

Working in the Adirondacks was a great experience for me. I was thrown together with 20 people from all over, all with different views and thoughts but one shared goal: to help people become aware of and protect the environment.

The first internship that I did with SCA was a 10-month program. We spent the first five months teaching environmental education in the local schools — everything from holes in the ozone layer to the habitat of deer. The other five months we worked on trail maintenance with the State of New York.

When the program finally ended in August, it was difficult to leave — so I didn’t. Instead, I applied for and received another internship, this time as a recruiter for the organization. My job now entails traveling around to different colleges and speaking with students and professors about SCA and how it can help students reach their goals.

I’m spending this month at the University of Minnesota, talking with anybody and everybody about the need to protect the environment and the possibilities for personal growth that can come from doing so. People here are great; they listen and are very interested in what SCA does. Still, it was hard to go back to urban life after five months of living in the woods. (Not to mention the cold! I think Minnesota skips fall and goes straight to winter.)

It’s great to see so many people here interested in what SCA has to offer. One of the facts that I share with potential recruits is that, in the next five years, 60 percent of the people currently working for the Department of the Interior will retire. Now is the best time to get your foot in the door for one of these positions, and SCA can help. High school graduates, college graduates, young or old — the organization has no age limits. We offer over 2,000 internships in all 50 states lasting anywhere from three to 12 months.

Oops, do I sound like I’m getting ready to give a presentation to a class? Well, I guess I am. Giving presentations still makes me nervous, whether I’m going to speak to one person or 50. I’d better prepare. Tell you all about it next time!