As a creature of habit and routine, moving to a brand new city and starting a new internship was a lot to take in all at once. Somewhat lost, and a lot a bit nervous, I stumbled into our apartment complex here in Washington D.C. and was instantly blown away by our amazing surroundings. I most certainly was not in Indiana anymore.

I approached my first day at my internship with the care of someone fearful of a bomb exploding out from under them. But, as I began to become more comfortable at my new desk and talk to some of the my new colleagues, I realized how great of an experience this summer will be. The Federation of State Humanities council not only has a great work environment, it also does wonderful work around the country.

When I first started at FSHC two weeks ago, I knew the bare bones idea of the organization and what they accomplished. There are 56 councils around the country, with one in each state and territory, including D.C.. However, these 56 councils are responsible for thousands of humanities programs that reach citizens from every corner of their state. With this new information, it dawned on me that I was working at a place not only connected to other humanities councils around the country, but I was actually working to promote and provide humanities education to people across America.

Armed with this better understanding of my work, I feel a deeper connection to my job and the projects I am accomplishing. I cannot wait to see where this summer takes me and to learn more about working in the nonprofit sector. As I settle into my internship and life in D.C., I look forward to all of the great experiences my roommates and I will have this summer.