First Flight Home
Post by Clemson Prairie Ecology Fellow Marilyn Jackson
So this is it. The end of the summer...
As I sit in the Denver Airport, it occurs to me that this amazing experience is finally drawing to an end. As I said goodbye to Montana and Wyoming on the drive yesterday, I’m now just understanding the magnitude of change that occurred in my life these last three months. Being away from home and everything that I am used to/grown up near has been an extremely important learning opportunity for me, one that will continue to impact me for many years. From the people I’ve met, the jobs I observed, and the work that I was exposed to, my perspective and interpretation of this world’s possibilities have expanded drastically. I am excited to say that I have grown significantly this summer, and for that, I am proud. Not only am I proud of my accomplishments this summer, but also to return home and to school with a brand new appreciation for education and experience…
Clemson University is something extremely special. Being a land grant school, it has several unique programs and research possibilities in my area of study that each student can and should take advantage of. Last week thirty professors, donors, or alumni of Clemson’s College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Science came out to Montana to visit with the interns and I. Hearing their significant appreciation of our work and research really motivated us and helped change our perspective of the summer. We didn’t choose this job for ourselves: there wasn’t any reason that moving two thousand miles across the country for three months was absolutely necessary. We chose it because Clemson University pushes us towards a challenge. This is the type of school that continues to nudge students out of their comfort zones and into new worlds. Montana was a new ‘world’ of sorts for myself and the rest of the team. Together, the four of us achieved success in this strange new place, just as Clemson promised we would. I am proud to have been given such support from the school and from my specific professors this entire summer. I would not be who I have become without you all.
This summer has brought about different changes in my life as well. In an attempt to not drag on about all the turning points of the summer, I can sum it up in one word: relationships. This is such an ambiguous word because it applies to so many interactions, but what they all have in common are other people. I have built new and lasting relationships this summer that I hope to build upon in the coming years.
You can read more about Marilyn's adventures in Montana on her blog: https://marilynmeetsthewest.wordpress.com/
