Bittersweet Goodbye

Well today is the last day I can call myself a PAO intern. Honestly, it's a little sad. This summer has gone by way too fast. My first lunch with all the mentors and interns at the River's Edge feels like it was yesterday....rather than 2 months ago. I really enjoyed this internship. I got to get the feel of what a Public Affairs Officer actually does every day. I realized in Public Affairs you don't have a lot of time to write stories for the newspapers, but rather approve of other people's stories in your programs. I also realized that in the military you have to go through a lot of different people just to merely say "no comment" on a media query. I realized that not only do I like the career I am pursuing but I am also not half bad at it. I got to take pictures and do infographics this summer which I had never had experience in, and both of those things came naturally to me. Thank goodness. My mentor (Marcia) was also a big factor in my happiness during this summer. She was so helpful and so smart about this field of work! She wasn't afraid to push me and say "oh btw Courtney you're doing the double truck for this week's Tester.” She had faith in me and I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun if she wasn't my mentor. Well in about a week I will be heading back to good ole Morgantown. While yes, the mountains are calling my name, I am sad to say goodbye to all of my coworkers. It's going to be weird not seeing these faces I got to know so well this summer or saying hi to the security guy at my building every morning. I recommend this internship to anyone who is passionate about mass communications. It was truly an amazing summer here at Pax River.