Name: James Ebong

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Discovery Communications | Title of Your Position: Global IT Business Operations Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Information Systems

Expected Graduation Year: 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

As a Global IT Operations Intern, I have an awesome opportunity to work for the headquarters of the #1 Distributed Television Company in the world. My day-to-day tasks include supporting the Quality Assurance and Business Application teams. My main projects involve providing technical and business solutions for applications dealing with international contract management and domestic distribution. These applications are responsible for tracking over a billion dollars annually.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I applied for their summer internship in my final semester at Montgomery College. I went through 3 stages of interviews before I received an offer.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Montgomery College

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

The thing I enjoyed most about my organization is that they kept the interns involved. The internship program created plenty of tours, workshops, networking, and charity events which helped us all bond and learn more about the company through former interns in other departments.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

The experience of working for a Fortune 500 company and seeing everything that goes into making a media giant like Discovery stay successful. I was also given the opportunity to get my certification in automated testing during my internship which I received before the beginning of the Spring Semester began.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

As I talked to HR managers in the company they stressed that grammatical errors in your resume are one of the biggest things that could stop you from getting to the next stage of the hiring process. With that being said, make sure you thoroughly review your resume and make sure you stand out during your interview.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

Definitely the opportunity to earn internship credit while working. It's a great opportunity due to how much you learn and the fact that you will be even more prepared for your career field.

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Website, Media, and Communications Internship (9273202)
Sierra Club Maryland Chapter - College Park, Maryland

Assist the Maryland Chapter or one of the local Sierra Club Groups to design and improve webpages. Solicit and edit materials and post newsletters and alerts. Create insightful blog posts on national and local environmental issues, events and opinions. Train volunteers to post to events and meetings calendars. Update contact information, databases, and more!

Parks & People Foundation - Baltimore, Maryland
Summer URI Internship Program

Recreation Center Enrichment Program (9273253)
Recreation & Physical Activity GIS Mapping (9273259)
Park Nature Programming (9273256)
Outdoor Recreation Activities/Health Baltimore Initiative (9273254)
Landscape Design at Cylburn Arboretum (9273258)
Facility Project Inventory and Planning (9273262)
Administrative Policy and Planning Intern (9273251)

Summer Graphic Design Intern- paid (9273166)
Sharma & Associates - Laurel, Maryland

Learn and assist in Graphic Design, Logo Design, digital media, sign making, and printing. Will work with Photo Shop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

Grace Summer Intern Program - Business (9273241)
W. R. Grace & Co. - Columbia, Maryland

The W. R. Grace Summer Internship Program is a 10 to 12 week paid internship program that offers assignments which will challenge interns. At Grace, you will benefit from a professional environment that is conducive to learning, with the opportunity to work and interact with some of the most knowledgeable and respected professionals in our industry.

Summer 2015- B&O Railroad Museum 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (9273231)

B&O Railroad Museum - Baltimore, Maryland

The B&O Railroad Museum (Museum) in Baltimore, Maryland invites applications for its 2015 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The SURF will commence on or about June 15, 2015 and culminate with the submission of a paper no later than December 15, 2015.

Name: Danielle McGrogan

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: International Rescue Committee (IRC) | Title of Your Position: Development Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Global Studies

Expected Graduation Year: December 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I have been interning at the International Rescue Committee since September. Originally, during the fall semester, I was a Case Management intern. My main responsibility was to assist Caseworkers resettle newly arrived refugees. I would take clients on important medical and social services appointments, and be their advocate anyway possible. I would also manage client flies and track necessary services that were reported to IRC headquarters and other international organizations. Currently, for the spring semester, I am interning under the IRC Development Coordinator. My day-to-day task include writing donor thank you letters, editing grant proposals, and looking for possible donors. I'm also helping plan the Baltimore's World Refugee Day event in June!

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

After discovering the IRC website, I searched for current internship positions available. After reading through the directions, I emailed my cover letter and resume to the volunteer coordinator, and heard back within a few weeks.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

I volunteered with Refugee Youth Project prior to my internship.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

Without a doubt, the most rewarding aspect of interning at the IRC has been working with the clients (refugees). I have met so many wonderful and humble people who deserve the life they have built in Baltimore. One of my most memorable moments was picking up a family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the airport and showing them their new home. It gave the IRC's statement mission statement, "from harm to home", a true meaning.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

Working in an international non-profit has been rewarding in so many aspects. Everyday, as I walk through the office, I hear at least 3-4 conversations in different languages. All of the IRC staff are passionate about helping clients reach their fullest potential and sustain themselves. The amount of diversity and love in the office creates a family like other!

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

If you want to intern at the IRC or a related office, be prepared to learn not only about challenges refugees face and the resettlement process, but about yourself and your role in society. Although it may be hard and tedious at time (especially writing case notes), it's important to remember how your small acts impact a larger picture! The IRC also prefers to hire interns (and past interns) for employment openings, which is a huge plus!

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

The International Rescue Committee is an awesome non-profit with a family-like atmosphere. If you're interested in understanding more about global issues, social work, and/or non-profit management, I highly suggest you apply!

* Danielle is also a part of the Shattuck Family Internship Program 

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Scarlet Eakins earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Technology Administration in December 2014. Learn more about her path below.

Where do you currently work?

RELI Group, Inc.

What is your job title?

Business Development Specialist

Location of the Organization/School (City, State)

Catonsville, MD

Which of the following resources did you use to pursue your after graduation plans?

Career Center, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship

How did you obtain your job position?

During the fall 2014 semester I completed 120 internship hours at RELI Group through the Shattuck Family Internship Program. When I graduated I was offered the opportunity to remain at RELI Group.

What is the name of your graduate program?

B.A. in Business Technology Administration with a Certificate in Web Development

Before graduating from UMBC, what steps should students take to prepare themselves for the workplace/graduate school?

Take the time to pursue hobbies and figure out what you enjoy doing. A lot of people don't realize that they can often find a way to apply their skills in some way that makes them money!

What advice would you give to students who are creating their after graduation plan?

The government is always spending money on something: check out companies that are involved in federal contracting. Look up "NAICS" online and find codes that match what you're into. Now you can find businesses where you want to live that provide those services to the government. You don't actually work for the government and most companies pay well with great benefits.

Prior to your position, did you participate in any internships or volunteer experience? If so, please elaborate.

I almost graduated without doing any internships, but I got an email about a paid internship that would let me choose a start-up to work at in order to give me an inside peek at growing a business. I co-own InSource, a start-up developed by UMBC graduates, so I completed the application. RELI Group hires people with technical skills to work on IT projects for the federal government. I started as a Business Development Intern and literally started from scratch knowledge-wise - I'd never even heard of BD. It was a learning experience, and still is. Having an internship definitely showed me some more fields I can get into with a college degree.

Is there anything else you would like to share with current UMBC students?

If you have a gap between graduating and getting a job, develop new or existing skills or work on a project that you can put on your resume and tell a prospective employer about.

Interested in sharing your post-graduation plans? UMBC seniors/undergraduate and graduate students, you can fill out the form here!

Also, make sure to follow the Career Center on Twitter and Facebook! #UMBCgrad