Brianna Martinez Final Blog Post

When I arrived in August, I knew nothing about volunteers/volunteering. It felt kind of crazy, helping lead volunteer programs and events when I had never even volunteered for anything. Since then, I learned a lot.

My main goals for the internship were to learn how recruitment, planning, and training work for volunteers. What I liked about this internship was how open it was. I got to help with recruitment for pumpkin carving. I learned how much planning has to go into an event like Spirits in the Gardens or Winter Wonderscape holiday light show. And I worked on different projects with volunteers, like origami, pot washing, and light show setup.

We visited ISU Risk Management and the Ames Parks & Rec Director. Both trips were really interesting and made me think about aspects of volunteering that never occurred to me. With Risk Management, I learned about the different types of risks and how to handle them, and, with Ames Parks & Rec, I got to see how differently they utilize their volunteers.

I had a great time this semester at Reiman Gardens, and I learned so much.

-Brianna Martinez, Fall 2021 Volunteer Program Intern