Fall Internship

2010-12-14 22:20:35.000 – Erica Sandschulte,  Summit Intern

Snow Angel on Mount Washington

While the rest of the valley had overcast skies, the summits were in the clear, who would have known! We concluded our work week with a fantastic sunset followed by a spectacular view of the Geminid meteor shower.

This will be my last comment as an intern. Yep, you guessed it, I’m going to get a little wordy and mushy. Although this experience will be a great start to my future as a meteorologist, it is still heartbreaking knowing that it has come to an end so fast. I came with an open mind and ready to learn. Many things were new to me; weather patterns on east coast, de-icing, rime ice, performing hourly observations and so much more. I learned them all and enjoyed every bit of it.

Upon graduating from college I had no idea what area of meteorology I wanted to pursue. I jumped into this internship eager, but also nervous that I would fail, not do well, or be completely lost in my surroundings. Those nerves were proven wrong within the first couple weeks. As an intern with Mount Washington Observatory you are exposed to several tasks/jobs that give you a taste of what it’s like to be a meteorologist on a variety of levels. Observations, outlooks/forecasts, wx summaries, radio broadcasts, basic maintenance are just a few of the many exciting things I was able to take part in. No questions asked, being here has helped point me in the right direction and assured me that I have chosen the right field. Can’t say it enough-I love weather and predicting it.

I have a little advice to those who are graduating or will be in the future and are still trying to figure out what you want to do. Be patient and doors will open. Make the best of everything-you make things what they are.

Last but not least, everyone that I worked with at Mount Washington Observatory and all the volunteers I met during my internship, THANK YOU for making this a great and rewarding experience. And of course my crew- Brian, Ryan, and Mike; I don’t think I could have learned as much as I did from any other group of people.

Erica Sandschulte,  Summit Intern