I am sitting at my desk in the front room of the house where I work most of the time. I am enjoying my morning coffee with Potatoe at my feet. Winter and Chewy are getting a little bit of outside time. Trooper is fast asleep on Potatoe’s bed in the living room. Little Chirp is enjoying his summer days by sleeping in, and Brainy Bird is in the garage apartment working.
Brainy Bird is crushing it at his internship. He is working on an energy trading floor. It is an interesting time in energy trading as oil and gasoline prices are sky rocketing. Upon arrival for his internship, a full-time member of the optimization team resigned. Instead of typical intern tasks, like taking notes in meetings or creating documentation, Brainy Bird has stepped into the role of the employee that resigned. He is producing daily inventory reports and working to fully automate the creation of the reports. He attends the sundown meeting each day with the traders and other members of the trade floor. There is a light in his eyes when he talks about his work.
I wonder if anyone realizes that he is only nineteen. Interns are usually a little older, as most intern after their sophomore and junior years. Brainy Bird is learning an industry, using his technology skills, building his network, enjoying being part of a team, and significantly strengthening his resume in a single summer. Most importantly, he is highly motivated and happy.
In the mornings, Brainy Bird gets up early and creates the daily reports. He then drives to the office, and he spends the day answering any questions the trade floor personnel have about the reports. In between questions and meetings, he is working to automate the creation of the reports.
This morning, I am waiting for him to finish his reports because we are going to carpool together. It feels so surreal. Seeing him in his work clothes each morning puts a smile on my face. He looks so young, yet so professional.
It incredible how much his life has evolved in a single year. On this day last year, we were in Columbia, South Carolina for his new student orientation. The First Chapter of the College Chapters – Run with me (runwithme35.com). Now, he is working on a trade floor.
The chapters of Brainy Bird’s college life continue to be fun and exciting.