So begins last weekend’s trip to Chicago to meet up with fellow Saltire interns Kirsty and Jack, and American intern Tim. Thursday evening Rory and I set off on a rather enthusiastically air conditioned Megabus to the windy city (not nearly as windy as the bus) for two days of sight-seeing and social butter-flying. Questionable verb creation aside, this weekend was brilliant! Fireworks from the 96th floor of the Hancock building, gigantic Chicago style pizza, fishing by the river, and dancing in the street made this one of the best weekends of the summer. A big thanks to Kirsty, Jack and Tim for the weekend, Kirsty: I’ll see you on the dance floor! As you may have noticed, my blog writing has suffered a little recently. For a good reason though. Working life at Monsanto has been hectic. All of our projects are at their height, and there often aren’t the hours in the day to do everything you’d like. As an enthusiastic intern, I also volunteered for an additional project which has really added to the load. As busy as that leaves me, I’ve been lucky enough to have learned how to use several new software programmes, have finished work for my portfolio, and have definitely honed my time management skills. Prioritisation of tasks is so important at the moment, and the last few weeks have been a real challenge. The responsibility and freedom at Monsanto has definitely given me more conviction in the decisions I am making, and my contribution at work. This week has seen videos I created help train staff in our department in SharePoint and site migration, so working flat out like a lizard drinking does pay off. In all this hard work, we also found time to volunteer at the Craig Blac Community Cuts for Kids event last Sunday at the Monsanto YMCA. Six hours of organised chaos saw hundreds of children get ready for going back to school, and was one of the most fun days I’ve had here. Not least of all because I may have a new lifelong friend in ten year old Dane intent on coming home to Scotland. Prepared, I’m assured, to face the weather. What a man. One of the most remarkable things about my internship are the people we are working with. On the advice of my supervisor Mark, over the past six weeks I’ve had meetings with some of the most interesting and integral people at Monsanto. Some meetings were fascinating: I’ve learned about the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, charitable faction Monsanto Fund, and how Sustainable Partnerships shape the growing agriculture business. Some meetings were touching: an in depth explanation of the impact the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project could have was very compelling, and my meeting with one of the driving forces in the project was really quite inspiring. We even managed to squeeze in a lunch with our CEO and Global Scot Hugh Grant earlier in the week, and left with some great pieces of advice and more than a curious glance or two at the A Café. Just who are those two lunching with the boss? Other meetings ran on way past their time, and probably had far too much hilarity to be work appropriate. You’re not supposed to enjoy yourself that much at work right? Actually the get-together I’m referring to was incredibly helpful, giving me real food for thought over the kind of role I’d like to play in any organisations I move on to work with. It also gave me confidence in the decisions I’ve made, including a break from education, and how I explain them. There have been countless other blog worthy events over the last two weeks, but who has the time to read a short novel just now? As always, the next week is jam-packed with excitement both in and out of work, and the longer I stay writing this, the greater chance I’ll miss something…
So begins last weekend’s trip to Chicago to meet up with fellow Saltire interns Kirsty and Jack, and American intern Tim.
Thursday evening Rory and I set off on a rather enthusiastically air conditioned Megabus to the windy city (not nearly as windy as the bus) for two days of sight-seeing and social butter-flying. Questionable verb creation aside, this weekend was brilliant!
Fireworks from the 96th floor of the Hancock building, gigantic Chicago style pizza, fishing by the river, and dancing in the street made this one of the best weekends of the summer. A big thanks to Kirsty, Jack and Tim for the weekend, Kirsty: I’ll see you on the dance floor!
As you may have noticed, my blog writing has suffered a little recently. For a good reason though.
Working life at Monsanto has been hectic. All of our projects are at their height, and there often aren’t the hours in the day to do everything you’d like. As an enthusiastic intern, I also volunteered for an additional project which has really added to the load. As busy as that leaves me, I’ve been lucky enough to have learned how to use several new software programmes, have finished work for my portfolio, and have definitely honed my time management skills.
Prioritisation of tasks is so important at the moment, and the last few weeks have been a real challenge. The responsibility and freedom at Monsanto has definitely given me more conviction in the decisions I am making, and my contribution at work.
This week has seen videos I created help train staff in our department in SharePoint and site migration, so working flat out like a lizard drinking does pay off.
In all this hard work, we also found time to volunteer at the Craig Blac Community Cuts for Kids event last Sunday at the Monsanto YMCA. Six hours of organised chaos saw hundreds of children get ready for going back to school, and was one of the most fun days I’ve had here. Not least of all because I may have a new lifelong friend in ten year old Dane intent on coming home to Scotland. Prepared, I’m assured, to face the weather. What a man.
One of the most remarkable things about my internship are the people we are working with. On the advice of my supervisor Mark, over the past six weeks I’ve had meetings with some of the most interesting and integral people at Monsanto.
Some meetings were fascinating: I’ve learned about the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, charitable faction Monsanto Fund, and how Sustainable Partnerships shape the growing agriculture business. Some meetings were touching: an in depth explanation of the impact the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project could have was very compelling, and my meeting with one of the driving forces in the project was really quite inspiring.
We even managed to squeeze in a lunch with our CEO and Global Scot Hugh Grant earlier in the week, and left with some great pieces of advice and more than a curious glance or two at the A Café. Just who are those two lunching with the boss?
Other meetings ran on way past their time, and probably had far too much hilarity to be work appropriate. You’re not supposed to enjoy yourself that much at work right?
Actually the get-together I’m referring to was incredibly helpful, giving me real food for thought over the kind of role I’d like to play in any organisations I move on to work with. It also gave me confidence in the decisions I’ve made, including a break from education, and how I explain them.
There have been countless other blog worthy events over the last two weeks, but who has the time to read a short novel just now?
As always, the next week is jam-packed with excitement both in and out of work, and the longer I stay writing this, the greater chance I’ll miss something…
So great that you found time to volunteer while out on placement, that you are taking on extra responsibility and that you are having fun while doing it!