And we've come to the end...

I'm actually quite sad and emotional as I sit to write this last post. My time with C-SPAN has been more extraordinary than anything I ever could have imagined. The people I met and the experiences I gained were worth every second spent away from my home. The opportunity to work in a corporate environment where people truly care about each other, their job, and their mission has changed me as a person. Everyone in this organization that I have come across is so dedicated, so kind, and so excited about what they do that one can't help but catch that same spirit. There are not even words to describe the efforts of the Education dept and Brian Lamb's vision for C-SPAN's role in education. The resources and access and support that they provide to teachers - for free - are unparalleled.



Joanne, Craig, Josh, and Pam have provided the best working environment I could have asked for. Amanda, our intern, continued to amaze me with her maturity and preparedness. My fellow fellows (is that a thing? How would you phrase that?) provided inspiration to me in different ways, as each is a unique individual bringing different talents and perspectives to the table. Dan Tulli, an AP Government teacher from Richmond, VA, has a knowledge of his content that I have never seen. He created a phenomenal project using the Supreme Court timeline and I am so excited to get back home and use it with my own students, and proud to have worked on a small part of it with him. Mary Sue Maurer, who teaches Government and Economics at a private special education college-prep school in Calabasas, CA has an enthusiasm and passion for education and for life that I hope to bring back to Iowa.

Brian Lamb, with whom we had the privilege of eating lunch at the Washington Court Hotel yesterday, has created something truly amazing here at C-SPAN. His vision has changed America - they may just not all know it yet. The public access that C-SPAN 1, 2, and 3 provide us with is astounding. It's not often you have truly unbiased presentation in media, and I truly appreciate all that he and C-SPAN offer.

So there's my sappy part. Wait - had to turn in my badge today, so I took a picture so I could share it with all of you (bad photo and all):

Okay. Now THAT was the end of my sappy monologue.

Yesterday we got to have lunch with Brian Lamb, as I mentioned, and I have to say that he has some of the most amazing stories that I have ever heard. Today Joanne took us to lunch as an education department for a final farewell. Our work is wrapped up, our time has ended. Dan is leaving tonight, I leave tomorrow afternoon, and Mary Sue isn't sure what she's doing yet. :)

This will be my last true post, but if I come across anything that I have done for C-SPAN that gets put online, I will be sure to share it here.