My first week of the George Perkins Marsh Internship with the SCA has been quite a ride. And to think I thought I knew this place! Though I’ve lived in Woodstock for 11+ years, this internship is already teaching me new things about the special place I call home. It’s very easy to pass by places like Woodstock and the National Park without really appreciating what they have to offer and the incredible history that is behind the pretty, innocent homes and shops. I’m so happy to be home for the summer after my first year of college, and this internship is giving me a greater understanding of my home, an understanding that will last my entire life. I’m very proud of where I grew up, and I’m happy to show visitors and fellow interns alike all the greatthings Vermont has to offer.
For the first week, there are a lot of meeting and greeting, which became tiresome as I struggled to place names and faces. I have to get used to wearing pants in the Vermont humidity, a tough transition coming from studying in Southern California. But we’ve done a lot of great things, like meet with the Superintendent and lead Rangers, learn how to take care of the historic mansion, and even listen for different types of birds as we walk through the park’s many gorgeous trails. I expect to know this park very well by the end of summer, and hopefully I’ll be able to come back and visit in my time after college. It feels amazing to know how much the conservationists here hundreds of years ago affected the landscape that I grew up with.
I think one of the best things about this internship is meeting all sorts of different people and learning their stories. My fellow interns here all have great stories about their interests and how they ended upin this small Vermont town; we are able to spend time together outside of work too. Working full time feels like a lot, but not when you get to go home in the evening like me, or relax with fellow interns. This is going to be a great summer, I can feel it already.
A. Bald
Woodstock Union High School Class of 2013
Pomona College Class of 2017