Reflection

 I have three more days left of working before I move back home. Here, I am going to take some time to answer a few of the reflection questions given out by the school. 

1. My expectations going into this internship was that I would learn a lot about reptiles and their natural histories. I also hoped to become more well versed in animal care and public education. 

2. The Animal Care Program at Shaver's Creek was the most beneficial thing for me before starting at Reptiland. I hope to take some of the zoos animal care ideas and bring them back to Shavers. 

3. A transferrable skill I learned was the importance of good communication and training. 

4. Working with the gators really pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The biggest challenge I encountered was trying to figure out everything at once and manage my stress.

5. I would like to further develop my natural history knowledge.

6. After this experience, I have begun to question what I want to do as a career. I do not like zoo work it turns out. I have also begun to question how relative animal welfare is and how to improve it. 

7. I learned more about the work environment that I want to be a part of. I want to work somewhere with both positive and critical feedback as well as strong training programs and team building. 

8. My greatest accomplishment was working a full time job for the first time. 

Overall, I am glad I accomplished this experience with hopes of one day finding the perfect job for me. I have set lots of goals for myself not all relating to science. For example, I want to become yoga certified and also learn sign language.