This summer I was given the opportunity to participate in ongoing research surrounding sustainable agriculture. With the GLI theme of natural resources and sustainability this internship gave me a lot of great insight into the role that sustainable agriculture is going to play in our changing world. My experience took place in and around Fort Collins, CO. through Colorado State University’s AgNext group. This group focuses on bringing cooperate agriculture, academia, and local ranchers closer together to find plausible solutions to decreasing the amount of methane and cardon dioxide emissions seen in modern agriculture.

Although agriculture continues to receive a lot of criticism from outside sources one thing I learned while I was there is that local farmers/ranchers have a different definition of sustainability than the media does. What I learned is that for these farmers and ranchers view sustainability as whatever is going to keep them producing into the next year. This means that the solutions that AgNext is coming up with has to give them the bang for their buck or they most likely will not participate. From a cooperate perspective “sustainability” has become a buzz word that businesses use to get the consumer to feel good about investing in their product. For AgNext this means ensuring that what corporations are putting out into the media is actually what they are doing behind the scenes. Before this internship I looked at sustainability more from a natural resource perspective, but after this internship I realized that there a lot of different definitions for this word and while they all ultimately have the same goal, the execution is going to be different.

One of the things I am most grateful for from this internship is the opportunities they gave me to grow as a leader. All of the research I was helping on was being conduced by grad students. I was able to work on a wide variety of projects including studies with Merck Animal Health, Diamond V, and USDA-ARS. My internship gave me a lot of autonomy and room to voice my own ideas about how we could solve problems that we ended up running into with some of these projects. The grad students made it feel like an actual team and were always available if I ever had any questions. Overall, this internship made me a lot better at asking clarifying questions and be willing to not always have the final say in how things were going to go. I also learned a lot of problem solving skills, since a lot of the technology that we were using to measure methane emissions were very high tech and on the newer end of development.

If you would like to learn more about AgNext and the research that they are doing please feel free to visit their website, Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to learn more about C-Lock system visit there website. All linked below.

Facebook: @CSUAgNext

Twitter: @CSUAgNext

AgNext Website: https://agnext.colostate.edu/

C-Lock: https://www.c-lockinc.com/

My global challenge is studying the conservation of native fisheries, specifically anadromous species. I have a strong connection to the chinook salmon, sockeye, and steelhead runs that spawn in the rivers and streams around my hometown, Salmon ID. This is the longest salmon migration in the world, and these populations are in peril from both habitat loss and passage barriers along their migration corridor. I have studied these issues in their spawning grounds of the upper Salmon River watershed, and I wanted to extend my experience to the ocean. In spring semester of 2022, I attended a program called the Alaska Dive Semester that is offered by the University of Alaska SE and is based in the coastal community of Sitka. This unique program provides a small cohort of 15 students with the opportunity to earn an Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Scientific Diving that includes certifications in rescue and cold-water dry suit diving, a small vessel operator license, and a scientific diving internship. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to live in an ecologically rich fisheries hub while gaining experience in field techniques and diving.

The Alaska Dive Semester was the most eye-opening, learning intensive, and physically demanding four months of my life. Having never scuba dove before, within the first two weeks (mid-January) I was diving in a dry suit in 34-degree Fahrenheit water in the Sitka Sound. By the first month, I could perform rescue procedures for diving accidents or cold-water exposure emergencies and was certified in providing oxygen and CPR through the Diver’s Alert Network. By the second month I was learning underwater data collection techniques, identifying marine invertebrates and fish, and using technical equipment like lift bags to deploy heavy ocean exploration instruments. By the end of the semester, my classmates and I were making our own dive plans and float plans to complete our scientific diving internship. We designed and carried out transects in Macrocystis Kelp forests to determine ecological community structures and sampled for Didemnum vexillum, an invasive tunicate species.

The skiff handling and outboard maintenance experience I gained from the program made it possible for me to stay in Alaska for the summer and work as a fisheries technician on sockeye and chum salmon runs in Yakutat, AK and Juneau, AK. Salmon fishing is a pillar of life in southeast Alaska, so I was able to see firsthand the impact of the fisheries on the local economy and culture. I learned that the Tongass National Forest is intrinsically tied to the health of salmon runs. From diving all semester, I saw how important marine habitat is for anadromous fish to carry out their life cycle, and then witnessed during my summer work how marine health effects escapement rates in freshwater systems. These fish are a keystone species to say the least.

Aside from the invaluable skills I learned and the understanding I gained for Alaska fisheries; I also had a blast diving in arguably the world’s best cold-water diving location. Some dives I would descend when it was snowing and ascend to sunshine. I saw a variety of sea life including sea otters, Pacific octopus, wolf eels, nudibranchs, rockfish and greenlings, herring, and sunflower stars. I had a few close encounters with 900-pound sea lions and went on frigid night dives to see the water lit up with bioluminescence. I drove skiffs in rough sea conditions, backcountry skied on my time off, watched humpback whales bubble net feed, and learned about the indigenous Tlingit and Haida tribes’ history in the area and current subsistence practices. It was a life changing experience, and I plan on returning in the future.

This summer I was an Administrative Intern for Senator Grassley in his Washington D.C. office. Working in the U.S. Capital for one of the most senior influential senators was an amazing experience. I gained valuable experience developing knowledge of my theme of Culture and Politics specifically addressing the challenge of how to move beyond political polarization and gridlock. Senator Grassley prides himself as a bipartisan leader throughout his years of public service. Working on the Hill gave me insight as to how legislation is passed and its effects on not just American constituents but foreign relations as well. 

Working on the Hill this summer among the brightest minds of the nation gave me valuable insight into the fast-paced culture that is required to make it in the political world and make an influential impact. I did not expect the offices to be composed of young professionals not too much older than myself. This realization gave me a newfound sense of confidence and excitement to think that one day I could be working and making an impact on a federal level. The fast-paced culture I referred to is seen as young professionals come into entry level positions and quickly either thrive or find out quickly that the Hill is not the right path for them. 

In my position, I worked a lot with constituents appeasing their concerns and requests. This experience allowed me to see constituents’ reactions to legislation passed during my time there such as the PACT Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. I also had the privilege to accompany the Senator on both television and radio interviews. As the Senator is coming into an election year, the importance of the media and its portrayal of their work is emphasized as I saw senators vote in a surprising way to ensure their constituents’ approval. 

Memorable accounts during my time in D.C. would include the conversations I had with Senator Grassley. He was incredibly gracious and kind as he went out of his way to get to know us interns, which is something many senators do not do. We had many conversations about Montana, which he was very fond of, having spent time on a ranch years back. He took us to breakfast and on a tour of the Senate Floor showing us incredible things such as the historic desks with names etched from previous senators in those seats. 

With the support of the Franke Global Leadership Fellowship, I was able to gain leadership skills working in a political office communicating and networking with influential leaders of our country.

This summer I interned in Washington D.C. for Senator Bennet from Colorado, with a focus on my global theme: Culture and Politics. 

Interning in the Senate was an incredible, eye-opening experience. Every day I felt like I left having learned something new. For the internship, I was assigned to both Senator Bennet’s foreign policy and natural resources/ energy teams. Part of my role consisted of attending briefings and committee hearings for the team so they could then better advise the Senator. These briefings and hearings were incredible learning opportunities as they often covered complex, minute policy issues that were not covered in the news. For instance, at one of the Energy and Natural Resource committee hearings the Senators had a bipartisan discussion with panelists from across the nation about how to further reduce the potential for leaks from Liquified Natural Gas storage tanks. The briefings were particularly interesting because they featured top experts from fields ranging from cryptocurrency to food waste who gave in-depth explanations of the major policy struggles facing the U.S. in the coming years. 

Although I did not expect it, I found the work I did for the foreign affairs team to be the most interesting part of the internship. Assisting Bennet’s foreign affairs team provided a whole new education on how the U.S. interacts with other nations and how foreign policy has evolved in recent years. The area I was mainly assigned to focus on was supply chains, and it was interesting to see how complex supply chains truly are and to learn about all the different considerations policymakers take into consideration when attempting to organize a supply chain. It was also interesting to see how combatting and reversing the rise of China provided a bipartisan organizing principle that seemed to underlay every foreign policy briefing and committee hearing.

Beyond the internship, living in DC alone provided an incredible learning experience. The city was more diverse in every way possible than anything I had ever experienced before and it provided an opportunity to learn about new cultures and go to events that I hadn’t been exposed to previously. For instance, on the National Mall, the Smithsonian held various cultural events, and one event featured a group of Omanis talking about the struggles of preserving their culinary traditions while living in a foreign country and urban environment.

The internship was a remarkable learning experience. It opened my eyes to a whole new world and taught me how to excel in an entirely different environment. Over the course of the internship my personal, as well as professional skills, were strengthened. I gained newfound confidence in myself and became more sure in my leadership skills.

In addition to its threat to societal growth and harmony, social inequality can arise in medicine when prejudice is tolerated in healthcare settings or certain people are denied the opportunity to achieve their best health. I have always felt strongly about the injustice of treating others with prejudice and the unequal allocation of opportunities to certain members of society. For this reason, I chose social inequality and human rights as my GLI Global Theme and Challenge. Through my internship at Mountain States Diabetes Clinic, I ensured that all patients felt equally cared for and respected. 

In the summer of 2021 I began my internship at Mountain States Diabetes Clinic. As an intern for Dr. Miller, my main responsibilities included drawing blood, patient intake, and collection and documentation of vital signs. We mostly saw patients in her clinic, but there were times when I joined her for a home visit or met her at a clinic in Hamilton, where she sees patients that live in the Bitterroot Valley. I have experience working as a phlebotomist and nurse assistant, so I felt pretty comfortable with certain tasks, such as vitals signs and lab draws. Even so, I gained an extensive amount of knowledge and experience that is undeniably valuable. 

Possibly the most beneficial experience that came from my internship was connecting with and learning from patients who are veterans and patients with diabetes. At the hospital, I come across these patients often, but I was never able to talk with them for long or learn more about their lives and diagnoses. At Dr. Miller’s clinic, certain days were dedicated to veteran exams. I was able to room these patients, collect their vital signs, and draw their blood. Many veterans shared their experiences with me, allowing me to reflect on the hidden trauma of people around us and the importance of being kind and sensitive to all. It is always a challenge to listen to a person’s pain and determine the best way to respond, but I have found that the more patients I listen to, the better I am at being an active, comforting listener. Furthermore, the clinic’s focus on diabetes care allowed me to learn about common medications, specific medical knowledge, and practice new skills, such as collecting and processing an A1C blood sample. 

Learning from Dr. Miller and helping to care for her patients was an experience I will always hold dear to my heart. Dr. Miller is the best doctor I know and I can sincerely say I look up to her in every way. My excitement to start physician assistant school continues to grow because of my work at Mountain States Diabetes and the reassurance that my educators could be as caring and supportive as Hayley Miller. This internship has made me a better caregiver, student, and future physician assistant, and words cannot fully express how grateful I am for that. 

This summer I was an intern for KPMG’s Los Angeles office, remote from Missoula, Montana. I was operating primarily in the Governance and Risk Compliance practice, but I also got exposure to the Application Security and Controls practice by working through their spreadsheets on a semi-regular basis. Being fully remote, technology played a critical role in my internship. I would get on my laptop in the morning and work independently and with peers via Microsoft Teams for the full day. Being a part of the Technology and Society GLI theme, I enjoyed this experience very much simply by looking at the work from the perspective of a GLI student instead of an intern. The work I was doing focused heavily on technology, and how to use tech to make business processes more efficient. I learned a lot about how major enterprises manage and organize all of their resources online, and saw how people are affected by modern technology on an individual scale. 

The culture of Los Angeles may be vastly different than what I am accustomed to growing up in Montana, but I really didn’t have any problems finding my way in the internship. I think that company policies and virtual connection puts everyone on a similar playing field, since nobody has too much of a disadvantage by being located elsewhere. This made it easy for me to find opportunities as a leader, since I could step into a leadership position with people from all over the country. At one point in the experience, we grouped up with several interns from different offices and practices, and came up with plans to help the environment on a corporate level. I ended up being the lead of our group, and was able to assign slides and roles to each person in our team. Even with all of us on a Teams call, we delivered a fully-prepared PowerPoint presentation with a strong plan of action. Everyone had a part to play, and the whole team had fun working on the project together. 

A lot of the job this summer was training, since KPMG would like interns to come back as full-time associates. I have since accepted a full-time offer from the firm, and plan to move to Los Angeles after I graduate in May of 2023. I had a great experience and learned a lot about the functions of major corporations that I didn’t know before. I believe that technology is going to be integral in solving a lot of worldwide problems in the future, but there are many perspectives throughout different societies that need to be taken into account. I look forward to working for KPMG after my time at the University of Montana, and the GLI program provided me with a great set of leadership skills and varied perspectives to take with me into this internship experience.

This summer I interned for a venture capitalist called Bcombinator located in Barcelona, Spain as a data analyst. 

Spain is a beautiful country with a unique culture full of rich history. Living in Barcelona for the entirety of the summer I learned how to adapt to my surroundings. Among all the ways in which I assimilated into Spain the most difficult cultural aspect for me to adopt was the lifestyle pace. I don’t feel comfortable generalizing the entire population of Spain based solely on my experience but while I was there I saw strong importance placed on immediate relationships. Any stress that is put on a relationship due to work is out of the question. 

Prioritizing immediate relationships over career success is quite contrary to the competitive work culture in the United States. For as long as I can remember I have always strived to be the best. Whether that meant climbing to a higher branch than my older brother or collecting the most donations for a fundraising event. There’s a part of me that always desires to outshine everyone else. 

Towards the end of my internship, I made a trip to Granada, Spain to visit a friend I had made last semester at UM. Pablo was born and raised in Granada and came to UM to continue his studies. Living in his household for the two nights I was in Granada gifted me a new perspective of how beautifully simple life can be when it is centered around family. This way of life is a transformation I am consciously working at implementing. 

On a different note, my GLI global theme and challenge is Technology and Society. After interning for Bcombinator I learned that there is a lot of uncaptured value in organizations due to the repeatable tasks that are left unautomated. The longevity of any type/size of an organization is contingent on having a tech-savvy person take robotic processes out of employees’ job responsibilities to draw out their humanistic characteristic of creativity. It was rewarding to do this at Bcombinator and become an asset to the organization.