Lifelong Learner

As I’m nearing the end of my internship, I’m starting to evaluate what I’ve done over the past few months and what I can accomplish over the next three weeks. It’s hard to believe there’s only three weeks left; and it’s important I set goals for myself now, before my time slips away. Over the past three months, I’ve covered everything from major political events to small feature stories. I’ve been fortunate enough to write a few stories for news organizations in Oklahoma, which I miss dearly. One of my most exciting moments was discovering that a Scripps TV station in Tulsa used a package I put together (backpack journalist over here!) on their 10 p.m. newscast. After doing some research on myself today, I discovered that my work has been published not only in Oklahoma, but in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Kansas and Ohio.

But I’m not going to pretend that everything has been peachy keen here in Washington. I’ve had my fair share of rough days. Thankfully, I have wonderful friends here like Ed Kelley, who remind me that everything really will be okay.

I’ve realized that I have a lot to learn, and I’m going to fully embrace that realization. Lately I’ve been referring to one of my elementary school mottos, “Lifelong learners we will be.” So instead of letting myself feel dumb when I don’t know something, I’m going to accept that learning something new is a part of being a lifelong learner. Here’s to the next three weeks!