The Final Days in the Experience Journal - WEEK 10

My last week with Project Vote Smart was rather uneventful. I finished up a few bios from the Colorado State Leg., answered an absurdly high number of hotline phone calls, and, toward the end of my week, made a few candidate phone calls. On my last day, I learned how to use the postage machine so that I could mail VSDM’s (Voter Self-Defense Manuals) to individuals who inquired about them. It’s too bad I never really had a chance to fully utilize my new-found skill.

As my flight to Iowa left early Friday morning, my last day was Thursday; I had been making up my missed eight hours during my previous nine weeks. That morning was my final evaluation. I was busy making some calls to candidates when I saw, out of the back corner of my right eye, two of my three supervisors looming in the aisle. I was so nervous I tried to make another call, only to immediately be shot down by JJ (the staff member who is in charge of hiring interns). Unfortunately, when I tried to stand up, I was still attached to my iPod. My neighbors got quite the laugh out of the scene I made during my near-nervous break down. All of my nerves were, surprisingly, settled when they sat me down on the office porch to tell me how fabulous of an intern I had been. Despite the fact that it was my very last afternoon in the office, I tried to look uber-productive so no one would realize what a colossal mistake they might have actually made when deciding to give me only positive feedback regarding my great communication skills, excellent work-ethic, and insanely quick calling abilities. I think my efforts to appear productive turned into actual productivity. Who would have thought?

During my ten weeks with Project Vote Smart, I learned a lot. I gained valuable knowledge key to enduring a grueling 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. job, while at the same time learning a lot about our democratic process. I also, somehow, avoided the jaws of all mountain wildlife. Overall, I’d say it was a successful summer spent in the middle of nowhere.