Week 6:
Reflecting on My Week of Reflection

July 18, 2020

The most notable experience of this week was on Friday, when Lindsey and I did our first all-day sampling. This means that we spent our day on the dock at the Port Royal Sound Foundation, collecting water samples and filtering them in the field every hour, from high tide at 7:12 am, through low tide, until high tide again at 7:37 pm. It was certainly a long day, but a lot of good things came out of it. First, we got a lot of data that, once analyzed, will start to give us a really interesting picture of how the water- and the organisms inside it- changes as the tide moves in and out of the sound. I also got to witness another beautiful sunrise at the dock, which makes the morning start out on the best foot possible. In addition, we got to hang out a bit more with the foundation staff when they came out for a bit in the afternoon to celebrate the end of their camps. I can really see that they enjoy what they’re doing and working with each other. That sort of workplace environment is something I really want to prioritize as I consider different jobs in the future. 

I think there are two messages we hear a lot when discussing our lives and our futures, especially as college students. One is to “do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life.” The other is that the joy of life comes from outside of work, in the relationships you build with people and the memories you make. Or maybe these are just messages I have heard a lot, and that have really stuck with me. Regardless, I think there is a lot of truth to both of them, but they’re not the whole story. There is an in-between to these ideas, or at least a coexistence of them, that I have been reflecting on a lot this summer. In particular, I’ve had a couple of conversations in the past week that have really made me think about what I want my future to look like, both in terms of my career and also just how I approach life in general.

First, I had a conversation with a recently-graduated friend about how important it is to find joy in the little things, even when life feels difficult or mundane. It is no secret that there is a lot of heavy, stressful stuff happening in the world right now, and to add on top of that a new job search, life can get overwhelming fast. As a consequence, it can be really difficult to seek out the good things that do happen, but in doing so, you relieve a lot of this stress and mundanities of everyday life. In a similar conversation with Lindsey, we talked about how easy it is to not fully take advantage of all the fun places and activities around you. For example, in her time here at USCB, she hadn’t visited Cypress Wetlands, or Hunting Beach, or the kazoo factory. She came down for school and got caught up in it, which I completely understand. I’ve lived in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids area my whole life, and I’m certain there are tons of places and events I’ve missed out on simply because I was busy or I didn’t try to find them. This is the risk of getting so stuck in a school (or career) bubble that you miss out on all the other stuff going on.

But finally, I had some really encouraging conversations with Dr. John Mark Dean, who established the Rogers Fellowship, and some of his friends this week. In my conversations with them, I have seen how pursuing something you care deeply about can turn into a long and successful career. I’ve also seen how those passions can manifest themselves in really cool ways outside of work, like a hydroponics garden project. Dr. Dean also reminded me of the importance of making mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward because you want to be doing what you are doing, not just because you want to be successful. In fact, this is what makes you successful.

As I prepare for my professional life, I hope that I can hold onto all these ideas. I hope I can find a job that I’m excited to wake up for (at least most days) because I am doing something I am passionate about, in a place I love, with people I enjoy. But also, I hope that I continue to build a life beyond work, with even more people and things that I love. I think this internship has definitely set me on the right track for this, and I am really excited to bring this energy back to Cornell and maintain it moving forward as I prepare to graduate.