Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Washington- Amazing, Inspiring, Polarizing


As my semester in Washington begins to wind down, I find it necessary to take some time to reflect on the experience, knowledge and education I have gained during these few months.

Today, waking up early and commuting to work via metro felt so normal… a couple months ago, that idea was foreign and intimidating. It’s crazy to think about how quickly I was able to transition from a reluctant neophyte to a confident Washington worker. I now know for a fact that I can take on this crazy world with confidence, and I also now realize that confidence is a much simpler concept than I previously thought. Confidence is 1) presenting yourself with poise and self-assurance, giving others the impression that you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t and 2) being able to remain calm, cool and collected within any situation and having full faith that you will be able to adapt to whatever circumstances you are thrown into. Though I have always considered myself a confident person, I had never been pushed and prodded the way I have during this spring semester in DC.  Because of my experience this semester, I know that I will be able to move into my future with a permanent sense of confidence, and I will forever attribute this realization to the time I spent in DC as a part of WAIP.  

Though I am honestly extremely frustrated by the political culture of Washington, I now have first-hand experience of what life is like in the capital of the modern-day Roman Empire, and I would not trade my experience for the world. I do not see myself pursuing a government or nonprofit position right out of college and making DC the center of my young life. Why? Well, I pride myself on efficiency and effectiveness, and to be frank, DC operations are neither efficient nor effective considering that the two parties are unable to work constructively with each other. I want to work in an environment where I am constantly developing innovative approaches to pressing problems, and I know that if I started my career in DC, I would become frustrated and jaded very quickly. However, I am now accustomed to Washington, and if I find myself wanting to start a career of public service, I will find comfort in knowing that I can make it happen in DC if I ever find myself back here.

As a young person, it is essential to continually craft your vision of your future, refining what you’re passionate about and where you see yourself fitting into this crazy world. And WAIP has helped me understand myself, my strengths and my goals more than I could have imagined. I now know that I want to work in a direct effort to promote sustainability, conservation and renewable development, and I have never been more energized to work towards these goals. I am excited to get back to Ohio State to take classes to further develop my knowledge of the public and private sectors, but I am even more excited to begin to really take advantage of the network and vast amount of opportunities that Ohio State provides. I am interested in learning about composting, waste management, aquaponics, renewable energy systems, sustainable agriculture, and so much more… and there is an expert on every single one of those subjects at Ohio State. I am blessed to have been accepted to WAIP as a second-year student, so I am thrilled to have two more years to take advantage of my situation in Columbus. Being away from Ohio State has enlightened me about how amazing Ohio State really is.

Though I am excited for this summer (lots of traveling!) and for my return to Ohio State, I will not take these last few weeks in Washington for granted. This will probably be the only time in my life I can say I live a block from the Supreme Court of the United States. Plus, I am working for Earth Day Network, and Earth Day is on April 22nd. On Earth Day, Earth Day Network will facilitate teach-ins, a rally, and the March for Science on the National Mall, and I am so excited to see a huge number of citizens mobilize in support and defense of science.

I can’t thank Ohio State, the Glenn College and Katy Hogan enough for making living and working in the nation’s capital a reality for 16 of us this spring. The experience has been one I will never forget, and I am pumped to see what this last month has in store.
John Conroy

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