I never thought this day would come, but my internship at UCONN has finally begun! The people are kind, the campus is gorgeous, the views are breath taking, and my intern partner in crime Taylor Pond is fantastic! I arrived at my new home for the next 2 months with a fully stocked fridge, a furnished home, and welcoming smile from our program director Carol Cronin. The hospitality I received in the first few minutes of meeting this wonderful woman gave me an indication that my internship at UCONN is going to be one of the best experiences of my life!

Our first day we took a tour of the campus, weaving in and out of architecturally stunning buildings. Taylor and I viewed the wide variety of dinning halls and were privilege to meet some of the managers still left for the summer. The following day we were greeted by Dennis Pierce, Executive Director of Dining Services, and the entire summer staff, with a breakfast reception held in our honor to welcome us to their campus. We might have been tricked into giving a small introductory speech about ourselves, but the welcoming people and delicious breakfast most certainly made up for it! 

After an exciting morning, our day became even more eventful with a surprise invitation to Rob Landolphi's test kitchen, the Culinary Operations Manager for UCONN. For a full hour we were able to watch new healthy creations take place that would replace a Wendy's fast food chain in the student union. His genius culinary colleagues consisted of Ron Swillers and Peter Stetson who helped create five mouth watering salads and four flat breads, that pushed the envelope of creativity as well as our taste buds! My personal favorite was the beet and brussel sprout flat bread. It had a hearty savory flavor that only made you crave more! 

The first two days of our internship have been so exciting that I can't wait to see what further adventures await us!

-Rachael Rounsley