The Borlaug Blog

This past week has been full of learning and experiences previously unknown to me. As I reach the halfway mark of my internship I start to understand a little more about what I am here to accomplish and what I can do to educate those around me when I return from my tenure abroad. I have learned quite a bit not only academically but also culturally, through this experience I continue to learn about myself and how I can grow as a result of this internship.

This week I tried getting my hair styled for the first time away from home. I was pretty nervous to the idea of getting my hair done in a different environment than I was used to, but I had always heard great things about hairstylists in the Motherland. It is safe to say that I was not disappointed by the outcome of my decision. It has been a longstanding notion in the U.S. that Africans are not only really good at doing hair but also do their styles really tight. I am glad to announce that both preconceived thoughts were true, even if the second one turned out to be a little too true, my scalp is still screaming from how tightly they pulled my hair. I would have loved to be able to get a touch-up on my locks but I enjoyed the new experience when it comes to my hair.

I would say I had more than one memorable interaction in the past week, I feel as though it has been a transition week for me when it comes to my mindset and how I think in certain situations. I look at this internship experience as an opportunity to grow, learn, and improve myself away from my comfort zone. Safe to say it has not been an easy road. Luckily, I have my wonderful mother and Miss Rebecca to thank for the help I received. Earlier in the week I was confused on my focus for my project/paper, I asked my various supervisors about what could be done but they were in the same place as me. The lack of clarity as the program continued kept me frustrated and caused me to become stagnant and pessimistic. I knew that I could not continue moving on this way as I would not learn or enjoy anything so I decided to Facetime my mother. Her no-nonsense but insightful attitude helped me recognize my destructive attitude toward the situation and how I needed to pivot so I could make the most of what was afforded to me while meeting the goal that I set for myself while here. This particular interaction stood out to me because it revealed aspects of my character that needed to change immediately if I wanted to improve myself. I learned that to be effective as the leader I wish to mold myself I must be able to come up with solutions using what has been given to me, which in this case has been the ability to learn about the ILRI facility as a whole instead of being focused on a singular project. It has also been greatly stressed to me that planning is vital to my success in the near future. I used this advice to take to my next meeting with Miss Rebecca.

I set up this meeting at the same time I was on the phone with my mother because of the nature of the needed guidance.  Remembering what my mother and I had discussed days earlier I brainstormed all of the experiences I had taken part in since arriving at ILRI. An alternative I brought up to Rebecca was to list all of the activities I took part in at both ILRI and the Kapiti Ranch. While speaking with her I was able to talk confidently about my plan and how I would go about writing my report. It really stood out to me how she accepted my idea and how she offered ways to assist me in the creation of this project. By the end of the meeting, I felt better about my remaining time here and how I was going to make the best of it through my own volition. The combination of these two interactions has helped immensely, especially with how close in time I decided to reside in them.

This past weekend I got the chance to not only get my hair styled but also spend some time with my supervisor and her family. I was able to learn a little more about how similar she is to my own mother the differences in life at home and more. Being invited over for lunch allowed me to experience another home-cooked meal away from home, as well as how the school system works through its differences from my own.  She is a kind and loving mother which makes me feel more like I am at home rather than 7,000+ miles away from it. Unfortunately, I did not get to learn too much about her life story, but I did get to grow closer and feel a part of their family, which to me feels more important.