Can I Stay…Forever

Sorry everyone, I know it’s been a while, but I am back! Many computer issues plus a lot of adventures last week, led to a postpone.

For starters, I could not have asked for a better company to intern at.  I genuinely love going to work at Sports NSW and the connections I have made because of this experience are now invaluable.  The NSW (New South Wales) Community Sports Volunteer Awards I have been working on was an absolute hit! Everything went so smoothly that it should have been held LIVE on television. During the day, I handled social media the entire time. I posted stories, live pictures, winner updates and more, for all three major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As a marketing major, this task couldn’t have been more perfect!  I was having an absolute blast. The entire event went off without a hitch and I felt like I was one of the actual employees running it. The CEO of the company even gave me and Jacee Yorks (another intern from Wilkes University) a shout out at the end of the ceremony saying, “they couldn’t have done it without our help”. —my cheeks were blushing and I was smiling from ear-to-ear.

Since I strive to be a very active person, it’s been difficult for me sitting behind a desk doing office work all day. However, I will say it has led me to planning events that I love coordinating like AISD (Activate Inclusion Sports Day) for example.  AISD days are held in various locations around Sydney, and these events are intended to teach sports including rugby, soccer, cricket, and goal ball to about a hundred disabled children.  AISD days are my favorite because I love watching so many amazing children (ages 5-18) flourish under the wonderful things that playing sports offers; it’s truly nothing short of miraculous. One little girl did not even have the coordination to catch a ball and by the end of the day, she was tossing cricket balls and hitting grand slams across the gym! These children are utterly adorable and I want nothing more than to teach them and give them unconditional love. Volunteering and acting as a part of something so much bigger than myself, has truly changed my world for the better. I think I might have found my passion in life. Who would have known I would ever find it in Australia?

My academic experiences don’t stop with the internship because my Operations Management (OM) course has been flying by. After starting this class a few weeks ago, I was feeling very discouraged since I had not taken the prerequisite class for OM.  I did not understand the concepts my professor was teaching as fast as my classmates and I was extremely overwhelmed. Yet, I was completely wrong about myself! I was the first one to turn our midterm in, and I received a 100% #SelfFive.  It really helps that I have a professor who is truly passionate about his students and the material he lectures about. This past week he took us on another field trip to a manufacturing plant called Supreme Engineering Services, where we saw first-hand what it looks like to design, produce, and mold certain products. The owner gave us an inside look at the way he has operated his company since its beginning in 1987 and how it has grown to where it is today. I do not know much about engineering, so the entire process was new and interesting to learn about.

With many adventures under my belt, I have to tell you all about my most recent one! I was fortunate enough to take a trip up to Cairns (pronounced like “cans”) in Queensland on the northern part of Australia for the weekend. Here, I visited one of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef! OH.MY.GOODNESS. After a two-hour boat ride to the middle of the ocean, there it was. Imagine swimming in the same ocean as the movie, Finding Nemo! That is exactly what it is like snorkeling and swimming in the Great Barrier Reef. I snorkeled for hours, saw the most incredible organisms
swimming around in the ocean, and swam with one of the biggest fish I have ever encountered. Fun Facts: The great barrier reef is over 18 million years old and the largest living organism in this world. How incredible! Although, many parts of the reef are dying due to many damaging activities caused humans. This means all the fish and other animals that depend on live coral will no longer be supported by the reef.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Please try and minimize your footprint by Reusing, Reducing and Recycling your goods used on this wonderful earth.

 The great barrier reef is dying from damaging activities like pollution, overfishing, coral mining, etc. that cause heating to the ocean water. I hope one day my grandchildren can experience the one wonder of the world I was able to see!

With only two weeks left, I still have so many adventures awaiting. I promise I am not going anywhere just yet Sydney!

 

Catie