8
interviews. 283.5 minutes of interview audio. 88 pages. 58,266 words. 8 weeks
of work. 4 days in a row of waking up at 4 AM to work. 2689780527862508 cups of
tea consumed. 1 final report on divestment. Status: SUBMITTED!
It’s
been an emotional whirlwind the past week – an overload of stress from
frantically trying to finish the report in addition to too many goodbyes, too
few tight embraces, not enough time. I felt like we were running from place to
place, trying to revisit all of our favorite places while still creating new
memories. Tears were definitely shed (or at least on my part) as I searched for
the perfect parting words with every person I said goodbye to. It scares me to
think that I, quite frankly, may never see these people again: Aaron and Nikki,
our favorite bartenders at our favorite bar Tavern on the Green; all the
separated minors; all my wonderful coworkers… But regardless, I’m incredibly
lucky that I got to meet them and spend time with them. My experience certainly
wouldn’t be the same without them.
Parting
from my coworkers was the hardest part of the week. For the past seven weeks,
we’ve eaten lunch together every day and have had hilarious conversations about
everything and anything, ranging from stabbings and murder cases to movies and
Father Ted (an Irish comedy TV series) to Michelle Smith and Katie Taylor
(Irish Olympic athletes). They treated us like we were truly a part of their
teams and never ceased to support us and put smiles on our faces. On Tuesday,
Derek and I did presentations on our home states (or for Derek, the 8???
different states he’s lived in), which is an intern traditions this year, and
afterward, they gave us parting gifts and said too many kinds words which
simultaneously warmed my heart but also made me even sadder when I realized I
was leaving them at the end of the week. We also celebrated Paul’s ten-year
anniversary of becoming CEO of the Educate Together National Office, and it was
inspiring to see how far Educate Together has come in just ten short years.
Educate Together was undoubtedly an integral part of my DukeEngage journey and
the experience that I most grew from. Aside from learning how to do qualitative
research and figuring out how to use a Mac and discovering the type of office
atmosphere I’d love to work in in the future, I’ve gained a stronger sense of
self-confidence. I was initially intimidated by Derek’s confidence and always
felt behind because I worked at a different pace and different manner than him.
But after speaking to Bill and Suzanne, I realized that I wasn’t lacking
anything; I just had a different skill set that actually complemented Derek’s
skill set, so by combining both of our strengths, we were able to achieve our
goals.
I
am so blessed that I received the opportunity to be a part of DukeEngage
Dublin. I made an incredible group of new friends and got to live in an
amazingly beautiful country. But perhaps most importantly, I feel like I grew.
I’m excited to see how my DukeEngage experience will mold the rest of my
college years, but for now, I know that I’m coming out of this trip much
stronger, much more mindful, much more confident, and most importantly, much happier.
It’s
bittersweet day, but I’m feeling so grateful for everything that has happened
over the past eight weeks. Ireland, it’s not goodbye; it’s see you later. I
will definitely come back someday.
Smiles
and so much love,
Anna <3
[edit: I probably won't use my blog regularly during the school year... haven't decided what to do with it yet. But I'll let y'all know whenever I decide! Thanks for reading. Y'all are the best <3]
