Wildcat Summer - Sarah Nadeau - University of New Hampshire Athletics

Hi Wildcats! I am Sarah Nadeau and I am a junior Economics major on the women's skiing team from Hopkinton, N.H. This summer I am working and taking classes in the Nation's Capital! Throughout my summer here I have learned how to train around a 9-5 schedule, and I am taking in all the city has to offer. I wanted to show you all what my "Wildcat Summer" has been so far!

MY INTERNSHIP

Since the beginning of June, I have been working at SelectUSA as an investment intern. SelectUSA is a small department within the U.S. Department of Commerce. My team works with clients around the globe who are looking to invest in the U.S. and grow their companies. My days consist of writing briefs for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, assisting the investment specialists with cases, creating a "How to Invest in the U.S. Guide" for foreign investors and learning from my co-workers about international trade.

I was very lucky to staff our annual SelectUSA Investment Summit at the end of June. At the summit, there were more than 3,000 participants! This summit gives potential foreign investors a better idea as to what investment in the U.S. looks like by attending breakout sessions and listening to panel discussions.

EARLY MORNING TRAINING SESSIONS

When you work 9-5 you get used to early morning training sessions fairly quickly. I am lucky enough to only be about a 10-minute run away from the national mall where I was able to do interval workouts, long runs and core. Not only is it a nice place to train, it's pretty surreal running past Lincoln's chair, the Washington monument and so many more every morning. I have been able to get into a few road races which have been located throughout the city. Road races have helped me keep up with speed workouts and meet more athletes in the D.C. area.

When I am looking to do a training session after work or on the weekends I'll take my road bike out for a few hours. D.C. is a very bike-friendly city and has bike paths that go pretty much anywhere you could imagine. One of my favorite rides to date is the loop to Mount Vernon!

SITE SEEING

Living in D.C., there is never a dull moment. There are always events taking place on the mall and various locations throughout the city. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to walk around the monuments and then head to a museum.

D.C. has no shortage of places to go. My favorite monument to date is the Lincoln Memorial because it's only a short run away and it never gets old to visit. For Smithsonians, I have to say my favorite so far is either the National Portrait Gallery or the American History Museum. Both of these museums have exhibits that are always changing and keep people coming back to the museums!

A CITY FULL OF OPPORTUNITY

In my short-time in D.C., I have already been able to take advantage of the many opportunities that the city has to offer! There are always lectures, events, political rallies and more every day. In addition to events always going on, there are also countless opportunities in D.C. that you would not be able to experience in any other city around the globe. A few weeks ago I got to take advantage of one of these opportunities as I was able to sit in on the last session of the 2017 term for the Supreme Court of the United States.

Getting into the Supreme Court is always a gamble as you never know how long the line will be no matter how early you get up to head to the court house. In order to get in, I ended up arriving to the Supreme Court a few hours before the session was to start and I was given a ticket to reserve my spot in line. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to bring anything into the Supreme Court when you are sitting in (hence no pictures of the actual courtroom), however the experience itself was so memorable that many people don't feel the need to take pictures.

Not only was I able to sit in on this session where they announced decisions on two different cases and wrapped up their term, I was able to watch Justice Anthony Kennedy sit on the bench one last time. A remarkable day overall that I will never forget. This is just one of the many opportunities the city has to offer!

FAMILY VISITS

My sister and recent UNH graduate, Shannon, came down to D.C. to visit me! It's always fun showing family around the city as it is so different from New England. During her visit we took a bike ride out to Mount Vernon to check out our first president's home, visited countless Smithsonian Museums and made a few trips around to see the monuments. I had a few days off of work the week she came to visit so we were able to take our time discovering the city.

We've both decided that anyone coming to D.C. should visit the African American History and Culture Museum. As the newest Smithsonian it is packed with culture, history and truly an eye-opening experience. In addition to the countless museums we went to, we found the best way to tour the monuments were to use Capital Bikeshare bikes! These cruiser bikes are all around the city and are extremely accessible, truly one of the most efficient and fun ways to get around.

My time here has been a once in a lifetime experience that I have enjoyed greatly. Between work, site-seeing and attending events around the city, every day is different. Although I only have a few more weeks here, I look forward to continuing to take advantage of the opportunities D.C. has to offer. Once I get back to NH I look forward to starting off my fall semester and getting back to training with my teammates!

Keep checking back to UNHWildcats.com for more of the "Wildcat Summer" series.

Previous Wildcat Summer Stories:
Jack Doherty, Men's Soccer

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