Stogner 1

Alexis Stogner

Mrs. DeBock

English IV

27 April 2017

My Real World Experience

For my senior exploration I choose a topic that was near and dear to my heart, bees. I am

an environmentalist and I enjoy making the world a better place. The bee population has been

declining for the last few years. Which is a huge issue. I wanted to pick this topic and run with it.

After doing extensive research, I realized I wanted to experience the bees for myself. I studied

how to be a beekeeper, I contacted professional beekeepers, and I narrowed down my list. I was

surprised to find out the a man that lived in my neighborhood took on beekeeping as a hobby. I

established the idea that I would get much more of an experience if I located a hobbiest.

I completed my eight hours of service within a series of about a week. I fully enjoyed the

experience. John was helpful and he taught me quite a few things. He had three different bee

colonies. I observed how to handle the bees as well as where the honey is produced and stored.

John gave me a jar of pure honey that his bees had produced. We discussed the varieties of jobs

each bee performed. He also showed me the queen bee, worker bees, infant bees, and the eggs. I

had a great time hanging out with John and learning all about the bees.

The experience taught me that small creatures, like bees, should be handled with care and

compassion. The bees do so much for humans. Also beekeeping can be a great source of income,

or just a hobby. You can sell the honey that is produced or you can even be hired by farmers to

pollinate crops. My service hours made me take a step out of my comfort zone. I had to call
 Stogner 2

different people and discuss volunteer work. Therefore I acquired people skills. I hope my

service will give me insight for the future. I had a great time completing the senior exploration.