26 Jul Summer, a Great Time for Professional Growth- Alícia Kelley

I have enjoyed my internship with LHIP and all the opportunities for personal and professional growth that have come with it. Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) interviewed me for an article they published on the LHIP program. This is the first time I have ever had an article written about myself and I would not have had this opportunity without this internship.

I have presented poster presentations 3 times before in my undergraduate years. However, I have never made a poster in a short span of just 2 weeks which is the case with LHIP. My poster presentation for LHIP is on a very different topic than my previous posters. I believe that I am expanding my ability to quickly make a great quality poster, while also widening my horizons in terms of what topic I will be presenting on. My previous poster presentations were very scientific, while my LHIP one is centered on creative projects and less quantitative information.

I wrote a script for the Point Reyes Lighthouse tour that I gave during Latino Conservation Week (July 17-25, 2021). My tour was about 2 hours long and I memorized what I wanted to say throughout this time in English and Spanish. Being someone who is a little more on the quiet side, this was a great professional and personal accomplishment for me. Giving the Point Reyes Lighthouse tour has made the previously intimidating LHIP poster presentation seem less difficult.

I have gained a lot of social media skills over the summer and I developed a great appreciation for those who work on social media. I have become a lot more experienced in learning how to format posts and my Spanish has improved since I have been using it more. I am happy that I was able to reach out to the Latinx community using social media. Although I initially faced some criticism from the public for hosting an event for Latino Conservation Week at the park, the positive comments of appreciation for Latinx recognition made it all worth it!