It’s Always Sunny in Snowmass

I left with a bang. Half of the work I did at the Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, CO., entailed conducting a landscape analysis of transit-oriented development and on the last day of my internship I presented my findings in front of 25 or so employees for an hour-long “Lunch & Learn.” A bit unnerving to say the least, but what made it a lot easier was really knowing my subject and being comfortable speaking in front a lot of people, both of which are skills I acquired this summer by the way.

I have been interested in transit-oriented development for some time, but this summer presented an incredible opportunity to be able to pursue the research in a professional environment with tons of support and incredible access. As an example, the people I interviewed got back to me a lot faster than I have ever experienced, and I am willing to bet it had something to do with “RMI” being below my name.

As for public speaking, it was pretty bizarre speaking to two rooms filled with people: one right in front of me, and another videoconferenced in from RMI’s Boulder office. First, this summer introduced me to a leapfrogging amount of technological advancements, making me feel like an old fogy going to my local library to learn about the pipes and tubes that make up the internets. Then, I got increasingly better at public speaking because the internship involved a substantial amount of videoconferences, mini-presentations and group work with other employees as well as outside experts.

In the end, my internship at RMI was the best professional experience of my life as well as the most valuable component of the MEM program. Don’t miss out on pursuing an internship in line with your interests, but also push the limits of what you can get out of it. No regrets here.