X/Y/Z; Now I know my A(bout), D.C.'s

Dear "Every wonderful person who has been reading my blog posts,"

I know putting 3 letters together might be a let down (or cheating), but I promise this is worth reading. I've decided to write you all a letter to sum up my experiences this summer. I hope you enjoy this final post, as I am really going to miss writing this blog!

Spending the past weekend with my mom and sister in the city, my summer in D.C. has finally come to an end.  We spent many hours walking, exploring museums and taking in the sight of the beautiful monuments at moonlight.  From tours to tasty restaurants, I think it's safe to say that Robin and mom had a great time.  It was the perfect way to end my stay in this great city.

Ready for our trolley tour!

Reflecting back on the past two months, I can't help but think what it would have been like without having this blog to record all of my realizations, fun times, and overall memories.  The support I have received from individuals commenting, liking, or texting me about my internship and blog was unreal.  It made it a whole lot easier to be away from home and to be on my own in this new experience.

My favorite monument
(and President)

President Clinton played
the Sax just like me!

My favorite question to be asked was: "What's the next letter going to stand for?" And while I vowed to keep it a secret, it was fun to brainstorm the next post's title with friends from school and family from home.  You all truly made writing this thing worthwhile.

I would also like to thank DePauw University and the Hubbard Center for Student Engagement.  Without DePauw and the grant I received, this entire summer would not have been possible.  I thank my lucky stars every day for being able to attend a school that cares so much about helping me to not only have great experiences, but to be very very successful while pursuing my dreams.

My favorite dish from now on:
Mango Stir-fry

Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier at Arlington

In the end, there's not much else to say than "Thank you all." I would additionally like to ask that if you have ANY additional questions about my time in D.C., or my internship that you do not hesitate to ask me.  Most of the stuff I've learned throughout my life has been because of great mentors and teachers who gave me advice when I stumbled upon something new.  So whether you are an aspiring leader, potential DePauw student, in need of a job, or just want to know how you can get to do what I've done, I look forward to hearing from you.

My favorite super hero movie (with the words of one of my favorite philosophers, Voltaire), says that "With great power comes great responsibility." However, I think this applies to any and all of our experiences in life because we have the great power to embrace them, as well as the great responsibility to share them with others.  No matter the rough times, or the successes, each and every one of us has greatness about us and this greatness is the very thing we must share with the world.

It is my sincerest hope that I have done just that this summer with you.

Rachel 

W is for White House; Green Room Greatness

Walking in after security

One of the perks of being a DOEd Intern is that you get to do cool stuff.  I'm not just talking about the everyday tasks and interactions with ED officials, but also the special tours and places we get to see.  On Friday, I got to go somewhere I have been wanting to go for a long time: the White House! I was so excited to finally see the inside of the place we always see on the news.  I was even more excited to learn more about our nation's presidents, first ladies, and families (pets, too!).

The beautiful White House!

Walking into the White House, however is no easy task.  Our IDs were checked twice, we were sniffed by drug dogs, and finally went through airport-like metal detectors/screening.  It was intense, but incredibly worth it.  The only disappointment about the tour was that we were not allowed to take pictures inside of the White House.  But the extravagant decorations and uniqueness of every room was easily etched in my memory as I asked Secret Service officers to tell me about the rooms they were guarding.

Our tour was so quick!

From a President's daughter's high school prom in the East Room, to the first lady's get togethers in the Red Room, I was amazed by what all goes on in these seemingly timeless rooms.  In the Green Room, I was even permitted to touch the silk wallpaper with the back of my hand!  It was so soft and different than anything I've ever seen.  We viewed the library and other rooms that had portraits commemorating first ladies and Presidents.  We even got to see an incredibly famous portrait of John F. Kennedy, which was completed after his assassination with the help of his son's frame as a model.  Walking past the red-carpeted staircase leading to the President's residential quarters, we were offered a recipe card for White House Chef, Cris Comerford's Grilled Garden Veggie Pizza.  

After posing for some photos in front of the white house, we were escorted to the gates.  This entire tour took only 15 minutes! It was so quick, yet so incredibly memorable.  And just to think that during this summer I had the opportunity to visit each of the 3 branches of government! Aside from completing all of the work I had to do during my internship, this tour was the perfect ending to my internship at DOEd.  

V is for Vision; Transforming the "Take-a-way"

Last day at the DOEd!

In celebration and remembrance of my last official day at the Department of Education, this post will highlight the main things I've learned during my time here, as well as how this experience will influence my future.  With any vision, there are successful mile markers that occur along the way.  There are also many setbacks, challenges, and road blocks.  But this first time living alone in the "real world," I was able to gain a clearer vision.

To make this a little more simple, I've decided to make a list of the top 3 things I've learned while interning, as well as to explain what made those three things challenging:

1. "There is always going to be something you don't know."
Coming into this internship, I knew DePauw had prepared to discuss the politics of education, society, etc.  I'd already developed my coffee addiction early on in college, so that wouldn't be a problem at an official internship either.  But one thing I wasn't ready for was the education gap that stood between what I knew, and what I needed to know in order to do my job.  It was a little frustrating whenever I had to immediately start reading books and watching videos in order to catch myself up. Shouldn't I have been prepared? At the beginning of June, my answer would have been a worried "Yes?" but now, I am fully aware that there is always going to be something I don't know.  It's impossible to be prepared for every challenge, task, or subject that you're going to need in the real world, or just in life for that matter.  Whether it's cramming in stats videos from Khan Academy or using Google as a new support system, I am always going to have to learn more.  And after what feels like being dropped into unfamiliar waters, I now know that I can swim (or figure things our), and that's all that matters.

2. "Find the beauty in small things and the big things will look brighter."
While these blog posts might make it seem as though living in Washington, D.C. for the summer was a complete breeze and that I was having the time of my life, I have to be honest and say that it was a lot harder than I let on.  Doing things on your own all of the time, and being solely in charge of taking care of yourself for a long period of time is incredibly stressful.  This challenge, however, is something that I think I've mastered simply by taking in every experience and seeing them as small drops in a bigger ocean. The little things like riding the metro and going to the grocery store (things I normally don't do alone) ended up being the times that I felt "wow, I'm really doing this." Laugh all you want, but being responsible for feeding myself every day (at least buying the food) was something I've never had to do before.  Finding the beauty in each of these things made them a lot easier to do.  And at the end of the day, successfully doing these things on my own made all of the "big" things I was doing more worthwhile.

3. "Never sell yourself short."
Whoever came up with the whole "be humble about your accomplishments," obviously wasn't in the real world.  Being raised to always be polite and to not talk about things I've done, the most challenge part about this internship was breaking this habit.  I'm not advising that you shout from the rooftops about every paper or task you complete, but every individual needs to figure out how to be proud of what they have done and what they are doing.  Most of the time, interns are doing the types of things that employees don't have time to do, or don't know how to do.  Either way, it is important to know how valuable you are to a company, especially in an unpaid position.  This last week at my internship has truly allowed me to realize the great work I've been able to do in a short time.  Some of these things I never thought I could do (I mean, statistics, never).  But being able to see the smile and gratitude on the faces of others who appreciate my work inspired me to appreciate my work in the same way.  Selling yourself short doesn't do anybody any good.

Leaving my building and NCES co-workers today will be bittersweet.  I am very excited to go back to Indiana and DePauw, and to start my senior year. However, it has been so nice to get a glimpse at how "grown-up" Rachel life really is.  From challenges to successes, I've truly had a great time here.  Now there just a few days (and hundreds of miles) separating me from home, but I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of DePauw and starting up what will hopefully be a great year.

With my wonderful supervisor, Elise Christopher!

U is for Ulysses; What will your portrait be?

I have never really considered myself an art person.  Artistic, maybe, but knowing the history and types of art was never really my thing.  One important aspect of art that is seldom realized is that you don't necessarily need to understand art in order to appreciate it.  My trip to the National Portrait Gallery was a direct example of that.

Ulysses S. Grant in most
intense frame I've ever seen!

Walking into the three story building, I was already impressed by the architecture, before even seeing a portrait.  And honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect, even though the name "Portrait Gallery" seems pretty straight forward.  But this museum was so much more than that.  Each floor was filled with different styles and types of portraits.  There was also an incredibly large portrait of Ulysses S. Grant in a even larger black and gold frame.  The eagle on top was almost bigger than a basketball!  But from wars and presidents, to celebrities and musicians, the portraits made me feel like I was inside of a newspaper or magazine.

All four female Supreme Court Justices!

Of course I had my favorites: Elvis Presley, John Travolta, Madonna, and even Larry Bird! (Yay for Southern Indiana!)  There was even a special exhibit about "cool" and "counter-cool," which I had never heard of before (imagine me saying, "woah man, you're so counter-cool" haha).  The really neat part of these exhibits was that some of the portraits could be "adopted" (but I wouldn't want to see that ticket price!).

My favorite portrait in the entire gallery was indeed the one of all of the female justices of the Supreme Court.  It was a showstopper, if there can be one for portraits.  Each justice was portrayed as a powerful and strong figure.  The portrait was incredibly life-like as well! It was certainly amazing.

Reflecting on my trip to the Portrait Gallery, I started to think about how important these portraits are in telling the history of the United States.  Yes, we have books, articles and journals (and the internet, of course) to inform us of the past, but being able to actually see portraits of great presidents right next to one another truly put the power of portraits in perspective.

Larry Bird!

The King!

One of my favorite museums so far, the National Portrait Gallery was a great way to unwind after work.  It was also a great reminder that as someone who wants to change the world in some shape or form, it's important to familiarize myself with those who have changed the world before me.  Portraits act as tangible reminders of the legacies of not only the artists who created them, but also the great people who are their subjects.

This collection of portraits and celebration of history also asks all of us a very important question:

What will your portrait be? 

T is for Teaching; The universal responsibility to educate

My Mom has taught me to
never give up, no matter how
far away your goal is.

I've waited to write this post for a long time not because it fits with the theme of this blog, but because of what I've learned about teaching this summer.  Working at the Department of Education, you'd expect that I'd learn a little about education, and at least come out of it with informed opinions about what is going on in our education system.  I have done that, but there's one additional part of this experience that isn't as obvious; I have learned what it really means to teach. (And in celebration of that, I've filled this post with images of only some of the amazing teachers I've had in  my life!)

Professor Smita Rahman has taught
me how to follow my passions, even
when the future is unclear.

Without being cliche, I would first like to say that everyone, regardless of age, educational attainment, race, sex, etc. is a teacher.  We are all teachers, even if some are a little better at teaching than others.  Hopefully you've taught someone something before, and hopefully you've taught yourself something, too.  If you're a supervisor, you can be a teacher.  If you're receptionist, you can be teacher.  If you're a cab driver, you can be a teacher. No matter your position, you are a teacher if you choose to be.  And if you've decided to be the type of teacher that gets paid for teaching, I commend you for taking on such a big responsibility in society.  The sacrifices teachers and professors make for everyone else's children is a much larger task than many people know.  But from what I've learned, this responsibility is absolutely not their personal burden to bear.

My Grandmother has taught
me that you can never
love (or read) too much.

You're probably wondering now where I'm going with all of this.  If I have learned one thing this summer (and don't worry, I've learned so much more), it is that everyone needs to take an active role in education.  This is coming from the girl who has always said (and will continue to say) "I don't think teaching is for me."  Yes, I've been told by many that I would make a good teacher and frankly, if that was the position I decided to take, I would do my best at it.  But the reality in my life, and the reality in the world today is that you do not need to have a license or permission in order to make an impact in someone else's life, especially the life of a child.

Mackenzie Cremeans, my AXO sister,
has taught me (literally) that if there
is a will, you  can (and will) find a way.

When I come back to Indiana and to DePauw, I hope that my future work will reflect what I've learned this summer.  I don't hope to be doing the same statistical analysis, but if someone else needs help planning an important presentation or analyzing a set of data, I will teach them what I know.  Just as my intentions with this blog were to inspire and show someone how to go about getting and being successful at an internship, I will make every effort to teach others things that I am familiar with.

For an ending thought to this wonderful "T" blog about teaching, I find it interesting that society as a whole is so incredibly critical/hard on teachers.  If you buy into my theory that everyone should choose to be a teacher (which you should because I've tested it, it's true...), everyone should be taking responsibility for meeting whatever standards of information we decide that the next generation should know.  The saying "It takes a village to raise a child," has never been more warranted.  I feel that I've only just begun my education even though I'm in my 16th year of school, but I'll keep learning, and now teaching every single day for the rest of my life.

If you find yourself pictured in this post, but don't consider yourself a teacher, know that you've been a teacher to me in some way, shape, or form, a testament to the fact that everyone should make teaching their personal priority.

Dubois County Community Foundation
staff and community.

S is for Street Sense; Establishing place and perspective

During my junior year at DePauw, I developed the wonderful habit of reading the newspaper every day.  Whether it was on an app on my phone, or reading the hardcopy on the table in Alpha Chi's dining room, catching up with current events both national and international became a very important part of my education.

Street Sense!

Being in D.C. this habit has progressed.  Besides reading online education news articles and department news briefs, I have found a different type of news than I'm used to: street sense.  A 16-page bi-weekly street newspaper, Street Sense was founded in 2003 with the mission of raising awareness about homelessness and poverty in D.C.  It also creates economic opportunity for individuals who are currently homeless or have been homeless before.

While most people quickly walk past and avoid making eye contact with Street Sense vendors, I've found that taking the time to wish the vendor a good morning, or to simply say hello is worth just as much as buying a paper.  This is especially true for the gentleman named Larry, who stands at the corner of 19th and K Street every morning.  But he doesn't just sell newspapers.  I can always hear Larry wishing everyone a "Happy Monday," or "It's a beautiful day," long before I get to his corner.  Larry has personally taken the time to wish me a good morning every single time I have went to work.  Larry has single-handedly made every single day of my time in D.C. better.

Larry Gardner

Larry gave me
his autograph :)

After weeks of saying hello, smiling, and walking on towards my building, I stopped to buy a paper from Larry.  After weeks and weeks of telling me about the great stories and information in street sense, and me politely refusing to buy, Larry was more than happy to open the paper to direct me to the poem that he had written for that week's edition (you can check out another one of his poems here).  I was more than surprised.  Street sense is a very different type of news source, but one that many of us should learn to pay attention to. At DePauw, I have learned the importance of personal experience and how amazing each and every individuals' stories are; Street Sense is all that in writing and more.

Reading Larry's poetry gave me what I needed to really see D.C. as something other than just a place to work and make connections.  Learning about the people and the place you're staying, working, interning, etc. is vital for making the most of your experience, and truly understanding the world we live in.  So if you're ever in D.C., check out Street Sense. This newspaper will give you a new perspective.

Q/R is for Qualifications of Research; Maybe we do more than we think

Most college students see "research" as a stack of papers, books, and a list of websites that must be read, understood, and analyzed in order to produce a paper accompanied by footnotes longer than the paper itself.  Some students would do just about anything to get out of "research," and see it as something painful, instead of as an opportunity to learn something completely new.  While I've always kind of enjoyed the less exciting version of research, working on research for the Department of Education has given me a chance to re-think what exactly constitutes as "research."

My pile of work research.

Working on our ED Intern Research project, which focuses on the money part of higher education, my group has had our share of this "traditional" pile of papers research.  A quick glimpse at our EduCA$Hion blog would reveal a type of "research project" you would typically expect to see.  But recently, I've found that talking with others about their experiences, listening to leaders talking about their work, and even chatting with individuals on my daily metro rides is, in itself, a type of research.

DePauw teaches us how to do this type of research; we normally call it qualitative. It consists of open-ended surveys and interviews, and doesn't always give us the satisfaction that we've conducted "research," but why is this? Today I was given the opportunity to hear both the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Catherine Lhamon speak about their experiences and what they've learned in life leading up to their positions.  No one asked "What research did you read to help you get where you are?" And no one asked, "Was that decision you made last week backed up by pages and pages of research?  That is simply not the culture.

Arne speaking about his experiences.

Instead, interns were asking "What experiences in your life most prepared you for your work?" and "What are your worries and excitements for the future of education in the United States.  Let's be honest, there is not an individual on earth that would be able to answer both of those questions completely supported by research.

What was even more interesting was hearing Assistant Secretary Lhamon speak about sexual assault on college campuses (a short video excerpt is below) and why it seems like nothing is being done.  She spoke about the lack of research we have about "what works" for preventing sexual assault.  An advocate for domestic violence and sexual assault awareness, I was intrigued by her prescription for colleges to "create prevention programs so we can figure out what works best."

The bottom line that I've learned today, is that not everything has to be supported by research.  What's even better, is that some research is impossible without individuals acting on their instincts and with their own experiences in mind.  This makes me wonder if the critical thinking and discussion-based classroom style at DePauw isn't it's own type of research. It all depends on how you define research (maybe we need a bit more research for that? or not...)

Maybe DePauw students like and do research more than we think.