I have had many successes this semester during my internship. One of the main successes is working on data analysis. My role in the project at the National Collections Program is to go through past documents that the unit has collected over the years and look for information that would be useful for the mapping project. My prior experience with past historical research projects has helped prepare me for this portion of the project. At first, I was nervous because I was looking for information I would not be looking for in my research projects, so I was unsure how to do it. However, I discovered it was much easier than I thought it would be. I could use the skills I developed from my historical research and find the information I needed to help complete the project. Another success I had was saying “yes” to new experiences. I am not one to put myself out there and sign up for something that makes me uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I decided that I would change that for this internship. The first opportunity appeared a few weeks ago. Every quarter, NCP hosts a C3 Conference. This conference is to give out new information about protecting the Smithsonian collections. I was offered to take one of the roles during one of the sessions, and while I was nervous, I decided to be a scribe for one of them.  As I said, I was nervous, but I could get through it, and I am happy that I did. Now that I have tried that, I will not be scared to say “yes” to other opportunities in the future, not just during this internship but at school and in my future career. However, not all of my experiences have been successes.

The main challenge I have had this semester is speaking up when I have something on my mind or something I think would work for the project. For some reason, I tense up and cannot speak up. It is because I am afraid that people will not like my ideas. However, this past week, something changed. I found myself taking the initiative and giving one of my ideas. To my amazement, they thought it was a good idea. I also took the initiative in other ways as well. Today, I had a solo meeting with a person working on the Smithsonian digital maps. Again, I was nervous but could breathe, and the meeting went off without a hitch. While this has been a challenge, I am finally learning to overcome it.