Support
I was the summer environmental educational intern. I taught families, classes, and the general public about wetlands and their plants and animals. I organized and planned many events and programs for teaching the students and the public. I helped lead multiple camps held throughout the summer with children of various ages (first graders to teens). I promoted many events by creating additions to the website and creating and posting online and in-person fliers around the Swamp.
This experience enhanced my exploration into future careers. I was interested in seeing how important educating others was to me and if being involved in nature was essential for my future. Through this experience, I discovered that teaching was less of a critical role in my future but rather a secondary importance; however, I determined that being involved in nature and working towards protecting the environment was crucial to me. This discovery will enhance my learning at SLU because I will be working on a Mathematical Seniors Honors Project that will now focus on nature and the environment.
Without this funding, I would not have been able to participate at the GSC to the degree that I did. Instead of five days a week, I would have been limited to one or two days. This would have limited the connections that I made with the other employees as well as restricted how much experience I would have had teaching and doing many projects.