Animal Science w/conc. in Pre-Vet Medicine

College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, Class of 2012

New England Aquarium Rehabilitation Facility Intern, Summer 2011 

What would you tell your peers they need to do to find and secure a great internship?

One of the best ways to find internships is to talk with students in your field who have already interned with different organizations. These students are the best sources because they have already gone through the application process and since they became interns they know what it took to accomplish that goal.  I would also say don't be afraid of the Internet.  Internships won't always just pop up in a search, so you really have to dig deep in your results and individual websites to find the right internship for you.

What did you learn from your internship search that you will apply in future job searches?

I've always been a very reserved student and never stuck my head out further than it needed to go to get the work done.  I learned finding the internship at the New England Aquarium that sometimes I'm going to need to take a chance and put myself out there to get the opportunities I want.

What skills are you using and/or learning at your internship that you can use in other internships and entry-level jobs?

I've always worked in an animal medical field, so the animal and medicals skills I learned will be used for all other animal medical internships and jobs I may get one day.  Interning at the New England Aquarium helped strengthen skills I already had and helped me learn new ones. The skills obtained while interning weren't just animal and medical based.  While interning I had a lot of time to talk one on one with the public and develop my communication skills.  Through the presentations I made on the beaches to the public about proper marine mammal behavior and what they will and will not see, the internship also helped me strengthen my public speaking skills. 

What is one highlight from your internship experience?

It's hard to pinpoint one highlight from this experience as it taught me so many skills and gave me the opportunity to work in many different scenarios.  However, one of my favorite days was when I went down to Nantucket, MA, an island off of Cape Cod, and rescued an orphaned seal pup who was emaciated and left by his mother.  The seal pup I helped rescue is a wild mammal.  Like raccoons, skunks and other wild animals, we don't really see them as having a "history" and even forget sometimes that they need help. I was fortunate enough to understand this and was able to help a wild animal in need.

What is the most valuable/beneficial part of your internship?

I was able to work alongside so many great people who like me shared a passion for helping all animals.