The fourth week featured pool splashes and an ethicist. One unique aspect of my internship experience was how dynamic my role was. Being a graduate fellow wasn’t just about the academic experience, but I also played a key role in curating and facilitating the social experience for my students. After a grueling review board experience for their Collaborative Policy Document, we decided to treat the hardworking bunch to a trip to a community pool. Although a trip to the pool sounds like a relatively relaxed endeavor, it’s important to highlight the distinct realities of commuting in a metropolitan area with 25 adolescents. Especially when a journey is a combination of bus and train rides, it’s important to pay critical attention to my students and make sure they are boarding the buses and trains safely. Additionally, walking long distances with groups who have varying paces is another challenge. As someone who is used to only getting herself somewhere and back, this experience taught me how to be more considerate and patient. When I envisioned what I would learn from this internship, I didn’t realize how high interpersonal considerations would be, but I am forever grateful for the opportunity. 

The second aspect of the week was at the Library of Congress, an event called "Ask The Ethicist" by Kwame Appiah. In my eyes, the main difference between this activity and the pool trip was that it was only a 5-minute walk away from the residence, as opposed to the 1 hr+ commute we had a few days prior. I’m (only) half-joking. In all seriousness, there is something to say about finding a balance between recreational activities and those that are intellectually stimulating. The Ethicist can be categorized by the latter and provided a live experience discussing one of the key values SEGL teaches, ethics. From a question about infidelity if a partner has the last stage of dementia to saving a drowning animal instead of a person, the students weren’t the only ones left pondering these dilemmas.