Learning & Growing - Orion

Hello my name is Orion, I am currently about to become a senior at Staunton High School and plan to attend college to become a physical therapist. This summer I decided to apply for Project GROWS and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the program, and I couldn’t be more thankful. This job offer presented a source of wealth and workplace experience that I could never replace. Working here also presented myself with numerous physical challenges along the way, but nothing that I could never handle. Being here has also refined and refurbished a number of my skills including public speaking and cooperating with other individuals in the workforce.

Learning has also played a significant role in my journey this summer and whether it be about agriculture, local policy or even general wisdom about the workplace this job has provided that knowledge for myself. Honestly it surprised me a lot when I found out that I would not just be laboring all day, but that I would also end up learning a lot. Through learning all of this and cultivating this mass of workplace experience my perception of the agriculture business and market has shifted quite overwhelmingly. Most specifically when looking at the forefront of food access and quality food Project GROWS has represented a whole market I was not even aware of my entire life until I began working here.

Ultimately the amount of time and effort I have placed into working at Project GROWS have come to fruition. My work ethic has been reshaped, my attitude towards the agriculture industry has shifted, and my perception of the future of this industry has altered. This job has provided for me an invaluable experience that practically is incapable of being described through words and for that I am ever grateful for this opportunity. Truly this experience could not have given me more than it did.