As the 2019 soccer season approaches, GoAugie.com spoke with five Vikings who spent their summers with internships and the WPSL around the area. This five-part series will run once a week for four weeks leading up to the team's report date of Sunday, August 18th.

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Senior Grace Bender has been a defensive asset to the Vikings on the soccer pitch and her junior season was no exception to that. Bender appeared in all 20 games (starting in 19 of them) and logged a career high 1,069 minutes. This summer, however, she has faced challenges other than Soccer. Take a look at what the incoming senior has been up to.

What type of internship do you have this summer?
I am doing a nursing internship at Avera Mckennan ER this summer! I call it my first "Big Girl" job as last summer I was a full grown kid working at a summer Christian sports camp as a camp counselor. My job as a nursing intern involves doing all the tasks that a nurse performs and I get the joy of working 7pm to 7am which has been an interesting adjustment. 
 
What are some of the challenges with this internship?
The largest challenge is failing constantly. I am constantly being humbled and shown time and time again that my own abilities are feeble and should not be trusted. Nursing is not an exact science where A + B does not always equal C as the human body is extremely complex. Critical thinking is important but the real lesson I have learned is that I am not capable of truly caring for humans the way that my Heavenly Father cares for us as He is the true, holy, and just great physician. It has been challenging to be humbled and feel defeated often but a blessing to be humbled and see the bigger picture of what Christ is doing through this opportunity.
 
What do you do for fun in your spare time this summer?
I have gone hammock camping at Palisades where we stacked 5 hammocks high and were attacked multiple times by the same fat raccoon who eventually stole a bag of chips right out from under my friends chair leaving a trail of chips into the trees. I made it out to Wild Water West for the first time in years and had a blast on the kids pirate playground! I Went to Okoboji with my roommates and some friends for a really fun weekend on the lake! I Went to the Black Hills to enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Otherwise, between taking a class, babysitting, and 40 hour a week night shifts, I seem to fill much of my time with sleep whenever and wherever my body will allow me to rest.
 
What are you most excited about for this Fall season?
I am so excited to be with the team 24/7 as this internship has taken away from much of my time with them. I just miss the friendships that have been developed and I pray they continue to grow in this next season.
 
Part four of the series will feature Peyton Stenzel on Wed., Aug. 7.
 
Read previous installments below:
Part one: Erin Schneiderhan (Wednesday, July 17)
Part two: Alexis Legg (Wednesday, July 24)