Patterned System

I was on a high school trip the last time I visited Washington D.C. We explored dinosaurs and presidential portraits in Smithsonians, toured marble monuments, and saw Hillary Clinton in a Senate session. Tasting our nation’s history and professional power energized my college aspirations and moved my life forward then. Returning more than a decade later, I hoped for a deeper dive into my NOAA experience and to get a feel for life in the city. The trip was illuminating in both respects.

Though my internship is Seattle-based, I also assist with national projects that run through D.C. To better connect with this team, I worked in their office throughout my visit. My supporting functions often involve many email exchanges, so everyone welcomed the opportunity to put a face to the messages in their inbox. I met our staff, picked up a new debris research project, completed data entry, and discussed my internship hopes with our deputy director; in all, my NOAA days were dense and enriching. I left that office with a deeper sense of belonging in the organization and purpose in my role. Being present helped my internship and the city come alive.

Verizon must love it when I move. Google mapping my way around, lyfting to new destinations, instagramming the sights; I devour my prepaid data and recharge again. Everything Seattle is fresh and learning the land takes time. So my appetite for urban Safaris, and the Mb that back them, stays unsated: visiting a dance hall turned theatre leads to the city’s other eclectic cinemas. Sampling Washington wines at a downtown tasting births summers plans to explore local vineyards. One can almost smell the next Yelp-approved restaurant from the one they’re eating in. Seattle is brimming with vibrant life, and it’s spilled into my internship.

I assist with outreach in local classes and many students here have engaging energy. At one elementary school, the third graders’ insightful questioning blew me away: I arrived ready to be basic (“Our trash is ending up in the ocean!”) but, at their behest, dove into details. I clarified, for example, that gyres are naturally occurring circular ocean currents and our garbage is what makes them problematic. In detailing each of the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) for debris prevention, one student even reminded me that a fourth, Refuse, has its own role to play. They were so inspiring that I lit up on seeing their art in my terminal home; the moment felt as warm as the Sound sunset outside. 

     I set my heart on an International Professional Service Semester (IPSS) before setting foot on the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) campus. It just seemed too grounding an experience to miss; what better way to finish a skills-oriented Masters than to join an environmental organization and immerse yourself in their work? Today, my grad school journey has arrived: I am spending my last semester on IPSS with a renowned marine debris authority in a premier city. Though I always wanted this experience, I never imagined the shape it would take.

     Congress established the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Division (MDD) in 2006, and it was given a strong mandate to investigate and prevent marine debris’ adverse impacts. The Program defines marine debris as, “any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes.” Its team supports local debris projects, outreach, and education in every coastal state and territory. I am on their Seattle-based team and working here has been a dream. 

    As the MDD intern, I assist our regional coordinators with a variety of projects, from entering survey data to workshop planning and outreach. Each task teaches me more about the debris issue and hones my professional skills. That the work is an engaging extension of my studies feels perfectly timed with their conclusion. Because our facility hugs Lake Washington and offers space to roam, meditating on my future goals is as easy as stepping outside. Our winter grey skies have an easy, centering quality.