Internships Continued

 I included a photo and brief description of Annie's internship yesterday. I was able to talk with Annie today to get more information about her fascinating experience at Eyes Ears Nose and Paws. Eyes Ears Nose and Paws partners people with dogs to improve lives. They train and place assistance dogs to work with individuals with disabilities. The Service Dog program partners trained dogs with individuals with mobility impairments, such as quadriplegia or Multiple Sclerosis. These dogs are trained to assist with a wide variety of daily tasks, including retrieving items, opening doors, operating buttons and switches, and helping prevent and recover from falls.

 Annie’s daily routine begins with gathering all of the water bowls to wash and refill them. She then gives the two puppies their "puppy ice" which is trays of ice cubes with a piece of food in each cube. This is so that they don't tip over the water and spill it everywhere. She fills the empty chew toys with dry and canned food so that they get a special treat during the day. Annie observes as they train the dogs to open and close a door, jump on and off a surface with a simple command, and get and give the owner their own leashes. She gets to take the dogs to Weaver Street to play with them as well as train them. As you can see in these photos, Annie is truly enjoying her internship.

 Ellie is doing her internship at Straw Valley Cafe.  She's learning about retail, and getting really good at making espresso coffee!  Straw Valley is a little haven that you'd never suspect is there unless you actually park out back and walk into the wonderful series of patios, decks, and indoor and outdoor spaces.  It's much more than the little hole-in-the-wall store front that you see from the Boulevard!  There's a very zen-like feel to the place, with sculptures, fountains, and some pretty impressive bamboo around the perimeter.  Sorry Barnes and Noble cafe, sorry Starbucks... this is the place to take your laptop and sit and work, or socialize!

Gina has been working at the Yates Child Development Center.  She's enjoying working with toddlers, but says that it can be challenging!  I can believe it... as soon as she would stop pushing their swings for just a few seconds (literally), the kids would start yelling 'Help!' as if they'd fallen or something.  Good luck, Gina! 

Thanks again to Ken Mitchell for visiting the internship students, getting these great photos, interviewing the students, and writing these descriptions.