Hugo Santiago’s first blog – Blogger #1

So it’s my last week at the California Science Center-which means it’s my last week of working the job I got to help out with my fundraising campaign!
     and I feel as if…I learned-but in a completely different way in which I believe was intended. Global Citizen Year’s summer fundraising campaign most likely would have wanted me to learn via working with the California Science Center or what knot-but instead I have learned so much more this summer by actually working around my busy schedule with the California Science Center.  Three and a half weeks ago, I was told I’d be working for eight hours, five days a week, for four consecutive weeks. Three and a half weeks ago, I thought that was a crazy work schedule for an intern as I had worked internships throughout my senior year in high school and was never asked to work so frequently. How was I suppose to start working on my FIT Program (Fellows In Training Program) for Global Citizen Year, which includes learning a new language over the summer, fundraising a minimum of 2,500 dollars and reading up on the country I would be living in for the next eight months if I spent the majority of my day at the California Science Center? How was I suppose to stick to my daily three mile runs if I was exhausted from standing on my feet all day and running errands here and there? Most importantly, how would I find the time to be with my family and say my goodbyes before I left to Ecuador?
     These were all questions I had three and a half weeks ago. Yet over the course of these three and a half weeks, I became adept at husbanding my time. While I had my doubts on how I would manage all of this at first, I became perplexed on just how feasible it would be to set a precedent of coming home and working on my Spanish course as soon as I could, to begin my FIT training during my breaks at work, go out to city events to speak out to gain publicity for my fundraising campaign (and actually accumulate 1,581 dollars so far) and even best of all-despite being extremely exhausted some nights-to still be able to go for those runs in the middle of the night.
       Last year I thought no summer would ever top the time I took on the task of taking a five week college course that consisted of daily readings, research reports and two hour bus rides. However, to this date I would have to say this has been my most productive, and busiest, summer so far! I feel like I can really say I’ve began to gain a grip on what the word, “diligence” truly means…”to stick to something incessantly, through thick and thin”. Little by little, I have become less and less of a procrastinator-because spending the majority of my day working at the California Science Center has made me appreciate and utilize every little amount of outside time I had-if I really wanted to enjoy my summer before venturing off to a foreign country that would not have those I care about.
      I have to thank Global Citizen Year for molding me into the young and responsible man I am becoming 🙂
With that last note I end my first blog…thank you guys for this opportunity! I’ve learned so much over this summer…