Working with Gia, I am gaining a great deal of hands-on experience in the area of planning, preparing, and implementing different conferences throughout New York State. We worked together to put together a very successful Recreation Therapy Day at Albany Medical Center on November 12th. We are now in the process of making our final confirmations for the Therapeutic Recreation Forum which will be held in Syracuse on December 5-7, as well as aid in the planning of the Annual Conference at the Nevele Resort in Ellenville, New York.

My first 8 week internship placement was with the New York State Parks in the Long Island Region. This was an incredibly rewarding experience for me, and I had a great deal of responsibility bestowed upon me. The basic concept of their mission statement was to "assess the needs of the people." They run numerous events throughout all the State Parks, meeting the needs and wants of all the different people. I was given two major programs geared towards two different clientele, a Fishing Tournament and a Triathlon, which consisted of complete organization, planning, implementation, as well as the public relation aspect of each event.

The courses I took at SUNY Cortland were a great introduction in preparing me for my internship. Programming and Leadership, Conference Planning, along with my two week Raquette Lake experience were key courses in providing the knowledge I needed to be successful during my internships. Programming and Leadership taught me the fundamentals of how to organize, plan, and implement a program. The main concept of this class was also to "assess the needs of the people."

Conference Planning gave me first-hand experience on how to run a conference and the professionalism I should display. Being a member of 48th Annual Cortland College Conference Planning Committee has given me great confidence when preparing for the different conferences I will encounter through my internship.

Lastly, probably one of the best experiences I could ever obtain was my two week Raquette Lake adventure. This course enhanced team-building, leadership, self-confidence, communication and motivational skills, and so on which are essential while working in an office setting as well as participating in activities out in the field.

One of the best decisions I have ever made in my life was becoming an RLS Major. There is a whole field of opportunities awaiting me and I am eager to begin my endeavors in the professional field. The level of knowledge and experience I have gained within the past four years through academic and practical studies have prepared me well for my future. The Recreation professionals I have closely interacted with throughout my years as a student have greatly impacted my life and influenced my belief in the importance of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies.