At last, my time at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has come to an end. When I first applied to this internship last spring, I was not sure where it would lead. Now I know that hitting the “submit application” button was one of the best decisions I made for my summer (only second to sending in my Cape Town study abroad application!). Not only did I spend time working in a museum that I visited infinitely while growing up, but I met people that have guided me along my career path and also become my friends.
My last two days on the job, Abby and I worked on cleaning out the department’s large storage closet. This might sound like a boring job, but the museum had already slowed down due to the start of the school year, and organization is one of my strong suits. Plus, the hours spent cleaning were a great time to spend with Abby, which is the most vital relationship I have formed at this internship. I asked her more questions about graduate school and her job, but we also bonded while listening to trashy pop music we both loved as kids.
As I left the building for the last time, I thought I was going to cry. Of course, there are things I will not miss about my internship, such as watching children dump over Lego boxes knowing I will be cleaning it up or driving for over an hour in I-35 traffic every day. But those inconveniences will never outweigh the joy I found in this museum, such as watching a child’s face when they make lights glow with Play-Doh, having block-building contests with my coworkers, and seeing adults be excited when even they discover something new.
I have always loved learning new things, but this internship made me feel like a kid again. I hope I can hang onto that feeling and use it when life needs a little extra magic (the code word for cool science!).
Educated and Innovative 