This summer at Winding Trails was more than just an internship\u2014it was where my classroom learning finally met real responsibility. As a Programs and Recreation Intern, I spent my days bouncing between triathlons, community festivals, aquatics operations, marketing projects, and office work. One morning I might be helping set up a transition area for a race, and that same afternoon I could be responding to a waterfront emergency or designing a poster for a major event. Every day felt different, and that constant change pushed me to grow fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of my proudest accomplishments was helping run the triathlon and youth race series. From course setup and registration to timing support and medical response, I saw how much planning and teamwork it takes to make a race look effortless. I also had the chance to contribute creatively by designing posters for events like the Last Blast Fireworks Festival, environmental education programs, and Nature\u2019s Porch. Seeing my designs posted around the property\u2014and watching them help guide and inform guests\u2014was incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the visible work, I learned how much happens behind the scenes at a nonprofit recreation organization. I gained exposure to budgeting, memberships, risk management, and administrative systems that keep everything running safely and smoothly. Most importantly, I learned how to lead under pressure, communicate clearly with both staff and the public, and stay calm when things don\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This internship confirmed that I want to build my career in aquatics and community recreation. I left Winding Trails with stronger leadership skills, a deeper appreciation for nonprofit operations, and the confidence to step into higher\u2011level responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This summer at Winding Trails was more than just an internship\u2014it was where my classroom learning finally met real responsibility. As a Programs and Recreation Intern, I spent my days bouncing between triathlons, community festivals, aquatics operations, marketing projects, and office work. One morning I might be helping set up a transition area for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9546,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-222","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9546"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222\/revisions\/223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/jtacinel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}