Since my last post, many things have changed around here at the Yamhill County Extension office. We have now successfully made it through our week of county fair and are currently preparing for state fair in Salem next week. At our county fair, I got to help with a variety of things like designing and hanging up sponsor posters, handing out awards to our 4-H youth winners, and even driving a golf cart to help shuttle families during animal move-in. I’m happy to say that this year, through better preparation, our fair went on fine without any major issues, making it smoother than years past. Overall, my experience at the fair was enjoyable and fun, even though it might have been very busy at times.
Outside of the fair, my experience at this office has also been wonderful. I feel like I’ve become part of a small but inviting local community here. If you missed my initial blog post, it’s important to know that this program is my first experience working with 4-H or Extension ever. I had somewhat known of 4-H growing up, but I had no idea Extension even existed! I’ve enjoyed this program even more because of this fact, as knowing the effort that my office and all the other county offices put in to keep our programs running has truly been something special.
As with everything, however, there have been ups and downs. A challenge I had to overcome this summer was navigating the stress and high intensity of working my first county fair. From this experience, I learned the value of clear and concise communication with my supervisor and coworkers, which might seem like a simple aspect of the job but can be easily overlooked. If I had any advice to give to future interns it would be just how important communication can be. I have a great dynamic with my supervisor here, where I can ask questions and be vocal about any issues I might have.
As of writing, I’m in my last week of my internship. It’s a bittersweet moment, but I’m also looking forward to keeping in contact with my coworkers and potentially coming back here for a future position. My time at this office has not only been fun, but has given me valuable work experience and insight into everyday programs that serve our communities. A key takeaway for me is that more people should be aware of OSU Extension and university extensions in general, as I feel not enough people understand the value of the programs they provide us. This internship was just the start of my experience with OSU Extension and I hope it continues!