Mariana Martins: Hardcore Nutrition--From the Office to the Farm
During the four months of Fall 2015 I got the exciting and fulfilling opportunity to live and work at one of the most important cities in the world: Washington, D.C.. I went to D.C. through a program called WISH, which helped me find a place to stay and an office on which to intern. After a few weeks of searching and applying to several places, I was fortunately accepted to my first choice, a research-based internship at the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. This office is responsible for doing nutrition research that impacts public health policy and programs such as the SNAP (food stamps) program.
Working as an intern in one of the most important cities in the World can be a struggle; it can be both the most rewarding and the most frustrating experience. In my case, I got to learn a ton of new things in a field that I am passionate about; I learned how policy making works, how nutrition and public health can intertwine, certain aspects of nutrition-related marketing, and even how to develop a research proposal.
On the other hand, I experienced being at the very bottom of the work hierarchy, working a full-time job for the first time and for free, and having a 40-minute commute to and from work every day. What I didn’t realize until I was done though was that these frustrating moments also taught me a lot. Being at the very bottom of the pyramid forced me to try harder and ask for more opportunities; my opportunities ran from organizing an event all the way to volunteering at a local farm. Working for free helped me realize not only that there is more to a job than the money it pays but also that, if the job is not enjoyable at all there is not enough money that could convince me to do it for the rest of my life. I confirmed my previous idea that I am not built for a desk job and that if I ever have to sit for that long again I will most likely go crazy. It’s a good thing I don’t aspire to be an accountant!
On the other hand, I experienced being at the very bottom of the work hierarchy, working a full-time job for the first time and for free, and having a 40-minute commute to and from work every day. What I didn’t realize until I was done though was that these frustrating moments also taught me a lot. Being at the very bottom of the pyramid forced me to try harder and ask for more opportunities; my opportunities ran from organizing an event all the way to volunteering at a local farm. Working for free helped me realize not only that there is more to a job than the money it pays but also that, if the job is not enjoyable at all there is not enough money that could convince me to do it for the rest of my life. I confirmed my previous idea that I am not built for a desk job and that if I ever have to sit for that long again I will most likely go crazy. It’s a good thing I don’t aspire to be an accountant!
My days were fairly similar to one another. I woke up early morning just on time to make breakfast, eat, and run to the nearest metro station. The most annoying part about the metro was the temperature difference; I would wear two thick jackets to avoid freezing outside, but then I would burn and sweat like a pig once I stepped inside a metro car and found myself surrounded by dozens of people and their jackets. 40 minutes later, after switching metro line once and catching a shuttle I arrived at work.
On a good day I had plenty to do such as meetings to attend and projects to work on, which would fill out most of my day and make it go by faster. On a bad day I would get to sit at my desk…for way too long! It was during one of those bad days that my supervisor came talk to me about a project being developed by a local non-profit organization called Arcadia, which is dedicated to create a more equitable and sustainable local food system in the Washington D.C. area. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but I readily accepted and agreed on starting the following weekend. The weekend came and I was excited about the idea of volunteering at a farm.
After a 40-minute metro and car ride we arrived at this small farm and were readily assigned a task. My first task was to pick okra, which I had no idea how it looked like because I had only ever seen in on my plate after being cut and deep fried…southern way! The following weekends my tasks ranged from weeding all the way to digging to look for sweet potatoes. The best part however was the potluck/cocktail time that followed the hard work, where each one of the volunteers would bring food and share it with the others. The menu would usually include some healthy dishes but was mostly composed of delicious unhealthy foods such as cakes, pies, and adult beverages.
On a good day I had plenty to do such as meetings to attend and projects to work on, which would fill out most of my day and make it go by faster. On a bad day I would get to sit at my desk…for way too long! It was during one of those bad days that my supervisor came talk to me about a project being developed by a local non-profit organization called Arcadia, which is dedicated to create a more equitable and sustainable local food system in the Washington D.C. area. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but I readily accepted and agreed on starting the following weekend. The weekend came and I was excited about the idea of volunteering at a farm.
This was one of my favorite experiences in D.C. as it not only allowed me to step out of my comfort zone by doing something new and hands-on, but it also allowed me to contribute to the community, meet new people, and learn some uncommon skills. My point is that my internship was important not only for the professional and soft skills that I obtained but also for all the opportunities that arose from it. Through work I also got a couple other once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as visiting the White House the day Pope Francis was there to give a speech. I advise everybody to take risks, get out of their comfort zone, and experience exciting things for themselves. I will be waiting to hear the breathtaking stories. In my case, if I hadn’t taken a risk, the most exciting building I would have seen during those four months would have probably been a football stadium; instead, I got to see the US Capitol, the White House, and the United Nations headquarters. Just something to think about…
Mariana Martins graduated from Lander University in spring of 2016 with an exercise science degree with minors in chemistry and pre-med. She is originally from Portugal and came to the U.S to study and play collegiate golf. She went to Washington, D.C. in Fall of 2015 to do a full-time internship at a nutrition-research office at the United States Department of Agriculture and to spend four months at one of the most important cities in the World. Mariana plans to finish medical school and work towards becoming a specialist in preventative medicine and public health.