2nd Weekly Reflection


This week of our senior project brought a little bit of the same routine from the first week, but also there were some unique days as well. We continued to research into the depths of microfinance, although this week was more focused on the technology side and the new age of digitalization in Africa particularly. We became more independent with our work this week and also with how we comprehend the information because Laura would have us give a presentation of a case study or presentation that she did not have time to read, so she trusted us to encapsulate the information to her. The work we did at the house this past week was very centered around helping Laura, who has become tight with time in relation to her conference coming up in Kenya in July. Henry helped with correcting registration mistakes, I created a chart for the cover of the field visit component of the conference, and we both made templates for the organizations to fill out about their mission as well as their schedule. The highlight of the week was visiting a local entrepreneur Molly, and hearing her side of the story for the life and process of creating a startup.

I wouldn’t anything that we did this week was surprising, but we don’t have a set schedule at the beginning of each week. Some days we do whatever will benefit Laura the most, whether that is independent research, collaborative teaching, or driving her daughter to soccer practice. I was looking forward to the meeting with Molly, as well as another entrepreneur meeting we have next week, so that was the only real expectation I had for this last week besides learning a lot and having fun. I have definitely enjoyed my time down here in Bethesda, whether during work or outside of work, and it is sad to think that week coming up is my last.

I believe I will benefit from this week's activities similarly to the first week, as I worked toward a lot of my goals and gave me knew perspectives that I was not necessarily looking for. I know that I want to go into the business realm, at least to start my college career, and I had focused my sights on finance but it was still really eye-opening to learn a lot the process of creating a startup. For my goals– I got more experience with a collaborative work environment, I expanded my professional network meeting with Molly, and I surely gained knowledge on a potential career path. This week, like the last, was very successful and I am grateful to have this experience to end my senior year of high school.

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