Wow I can’t believe it’s the last day of the program and my last full day in Iowa… It honestly has been a super great experience and leaving is so bittersweet.. I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and I think I definitely made the most out of this experience. I have learned so much. One of the big things I learned this summer was how to focus on my own skills and development academically, its definitely something I hope to bring back with me and not compare myself to peers. I have met so many awesome people here that I hope to stay in contact with when I leave. I know now that I will have friends to visit when I come back to Iowa as well as other states around the US. I had the best roommates that were such a great support system as well as just amazing friends. I also had a great team to work with this summer and great mentors to help us succeed. We had our symposium yesterday and I’m honestly sooo proud of all of us for all we accomplished this summer. I feel like I finally was able to tell people what we did this summer and that alone is a huge accomplishment since it took me a long time to fully understand what we even did! lol I got some public speaking skills in yesterday and I can thank my Toastmasters clubs for getting me there over all these years. Iowa is definitely a gorgeous place. Last night we went to the high trestle trail and it was so peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing to say the least. I can really appreciate the quiet of nature and that bridge was definitely that with all the stars you could see, the river you could hear, and just spending time with friends. Iowa was definitely a nice “go off the grid” place where you can get away and relax out in the open. It has been a great one Iowa and I definitely think I would like to come back eventually. I love you guys and will miss you all so much!! Thank you to everyone that helped me out this summer, interns, mentors, and everyone in VRAC.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the summer!