Changes I Could Get Used To

I believe that it is fair to say that I have contemplated multiple times during the past four months why I moved half way across the country for this job. The idea of a new place, a big city, working for the National Park Service, and being completely independent were appealing. And honestly those things are what still keep me here (not to mention the 1 year contract I signed).

However, as I have mentioned before, I would be shielding you all from my true reality if I didn’t mention that the program I am in is new. And with new comes growing pains. And with growing pains come confusion, frustration, opportunity, and success. As the program develops and things get worked out, we move along that continuum. I believe that September was a month in which my relationship with the program transitioned from frustration to opportunity. And here’s why, how, and what happened.

The month began with a large meeting between the six Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors in DC and each of our supervisors. This meeting helped to air a lot of concerns on both sides of the table. We were able to open up lines of communication and help better understand everyone’s wants and needs. The first step in fixing an issue is realizing there is one, right?! From here we hope that everyone makes a conscious effort to make the experience the best it can be.

First Lady, Pope, & President waving to the crowd

One of the projects I’ve been working on is the President’s Park VIP Program Assessment. Diandre, my coworker, and I have been working on this project for some time now. We are looking at the volunteer program, interviewing all of the employees and volunteers, and will eventually be making recommendations about how the program can improve. This project really allows Diandre and I to provide a third party perspective on the program. These past few weeks we have been interviewing many people, listening to what they do, how volunteers could help them, and what about the volunteer program could be improved.

Another project I am working on is the State Ornaments project. For some background, the National Christmas Tree is located our park, and each year there is an event in early December where the President lights the tree. Surrounding the National Christmas Tree are 56 smaller trees, one for each state and territory. Every year an artist from each state is selected to create ornaments that are displayed on their state/territory tree. Diandre and I are in charge of coordinating this effort this year. I have been working with each state and territory to select an artist and coordinate the whole process. It has certainly been a learning experience, but I am grateful for the opportunity to work on such a well-known American tradition.

Selfie with the Pope

And in between and on top of all that, the Pope was in town! This month at work very much revolved around the Pope’s visit to town. The town took extensive and unprecedented precautions, creating completely secure areas for blocks around the white house. The park was asked to coordinate volunteers just a week before the arrival of the Pope. My supervisor came to me and gave me full responsibility of getting 50 volunteers to help out with the event at 4am. And, with under a week to do it, we pulled it off! Long hours, many emails, and lots of hard work went into what we all referred to as ‘Pope Day.’ The day before many of my coworkers and I actually slept in the National Park Service’s national headquarters office, because we had to be up and on the job at 3am the next morning. We couldn’t sleep in our normal office because it was closed and completely locked down.

My volunteers helped scan the tickets of everyone who was attending the official state arrival ceremony of the Pope at the White House. Over 11,000 people attended the event…that’s a lot of tickets to scan! As a perk for our help, my volunteers and I also got to attend the event! It was SO COOL to get to go on the South Lawn of the White House, see the Pope and the President, and to hear them speak. It was a moment in history I will never forget.

President shaking people's hands

Then, the following day the Pope gave a speech to a joint session of congress. Over 20,000 people were invited to watch the speech on jumbo-trons outside the Capitol building. My second cousin Sarah got tickets for her and I to attend! We got to watch the speech and then Pope Francis came out on the balcony and waved and spoke to the crowd!! I had a better line of sight to the Pope at the Capitol than the White House because he was up on a balcony. Again, another moment in history that I will never forget.

Then, as if that week couldn’t get any busier, that Friday I had the privilege to attend yet another State Arrival ceremony, this time for the President of China. This was a much smaller event, with only 2,000 people in attendance. At this event I got to really see all of the action and I was much closer to the President and the White House itself. At this event I got to see the First Lady, the Vice President, Secretary of State John Kerry and other national leaders.

And, among all of those larger events, I was also occupying my time with some other things. I helped out at the George Washington University’s Day of Service. I helped promote volunteerism at an AARP meal packing event (similar to Feed My starving Children for my MN folks). As an NPS representative I got to attend a social media success forum put on by Destination DC, a company with a mission to promote DC tourism. The Kelly Clarkson concert I was planning to attend got canceled L I went to another Nationals baseball game with friends and coworkers. I served as an NPS representative at the American University Career and Internship Fair. I had some car troubles and spent a chunk of change to get the brakes fixed. I helped promote volunteerism at the two day Landmark Music Festival that happened on the National Mall. At the event I got to go in the VIP area as well as backstage during one of the concerts! Another evening my fellow CVAs and I had dinner with some of the SCA folks (SCA is the company that hired me and pays my stipend). Always good to rub elbows with higher ups. I also helped the CVAs get new uniforms. We now have National Park Service polos and jackets that help make us even more official.

 

Wow, so much happened in September. As you can hopefully see, my work has become more meaningful and my efforts are starting to pay off. All in all, September brought about some changes that I could get used to. I am having a great time, doing lots of fun things, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities my time here will present to me!