I received an email this week with the subject “Sadness is the end of a summer internship.” Well Paul, you hit the nail right on the head. Sadness. That’s exactly what I’m feeling as this internship comes to an end. I’m sad that I have to leave Austin, TX. I was just getting to know this place and everything it has to offer and it really is a fun place to live. I’ve loved learning about and serving at some of the many non-profits around town, running through the golf course down the street, biking along the river, and going to Shrek the Musical for free. Little by little, it started to feel like somewhere I could call home. I’m sad that I have to leave my fellow interns (or rather, that they have already left me). Even though we were never working on the same projects, the four of […]

At this point, my fellowship has been over for a couple of weeks. Afterwards, I spent a week in Washington DC staying with other fellows and exploring a new city. During this time and even now, I have had some unique opportunities to reflect on the experience as a whole and what it taught me about being a professional, working in law, and working with non profits. But even deeper than that, I have asked myself what I learned about being a leader, being of service, and about my calling and purpose. Calling and purpose have been a tricky thing for me to try to unpack- this summer and throughout the course of my life. A lot of different paths and options interest me, and there are several things that I think I would be happy doing with my life. Research, law, and work in government are only a few […]