Name:Genevieve Ahearn

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Position Title:Directorate Resource Assistant Fellow

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biology

Work Term:Summer 2018

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

The magnificent ramshorn is North America's largest air-breathing freshwater snail endemic to two counties in North Carolina. It is believed to be extinct in the wild with only two captive populations in existence and is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. I have had the privilege of working on a plan to reintroduce the snail back into the wild. I started out reading everything there was to know about the snail. I summarized different methods of deciding where and how to reintroduce the snail into one document. I then spent a lot of time speaking with experts on what they thought would be the best method and worked with partner organizations to come to an agreement on what the next steps should be. I cultivated relationships with land managers in order to spread awareness about the snails status and to broaden the snails horizons as to where it could be released. More recently, I've been visiting potential reintroduction sites to decide if the water has just the right chemistry to move forward with testing water suitability on the snails. We've found a few spots, but this snail's a tricky one!

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

A professor sent out an email to all students majoring in GES at UMBC about the opportunity in mid-February. I actually had missed the original deadline, but luckily it was extended. I had applied to lots of positions before this one, and my resume had been reviewed by a lot of older friends that had already gone through the process. Of course I still ended up submitting my application at the very last moment, which is very stressful and I would not recommend it. I got a phone interview, and I immediately booked a practice interview with UMBC's Career Center. I asked to be recorded for future reference and I'm so glad I did. I never realized how overly self-deprecating I sounded and how bad my posture was in an effort to be non-threatening. Not only that, but they asked tough questions and gave me feedback on my answers and tips for thinking on the fly in the future. It definitely boosted my confidence for the interviews and helped me during the interview for this position. It's worth trying if you've never interviewed before.

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

If you love animals and ever want to make an impact, work for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are on the front lines of protecting species habitats and cultivating relationships with all kinds of people to make protecting biodiversity a universal issue.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I had a few people ask me this summer how I justify what I am trying to do. Most people wouldn't care about a snail going extinct because they're not especially cute and cuddly and they do not strictly speaking perform an obvious service for humans. But that's exactly why I've liked this position. I've gotten to give a voice to something that normally gets overlooked. Snail diversity is diminishing at a very fast rate from mostly human causes, and that's all I need to know. Even if a species function isn't obvious, it more often than not plays a role in its ecosystem that would lead to a reduction in ecosystem function without it. Except mosquitoes. Nobody likes them.

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

Never give up! I applied to sooo many positions, and got so many no's but all it takes is one yes!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Name:Ashley Batista

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:University Health Services/Office of Health Promotion

Position Title: Peer Health Educator

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biology/Africana Studies

Work Term:Fall 2017

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

As a peer, I work to reach out to the UMBC community through events, programs, and workshops to educate students regarding a variety of health issues. We work to provide students with information about sleep deprivation, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health and birth control, just to name a few topics. We teach common strategies to make better healthy decisions as well as bring awareness to the resources provided to them on and off campus.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about this position through an email sent by the Internships & Employment Team in the Career Center stating that Peer Health Educators were wanted and that applications were being taken. I filled out the application and sent it in to my now supervisor by April 28th. One or two weeks later I was contacted in regards to making an interview appointment. I went to the interview and a couple weeks later, I received the "congratulations" email confirming my position for the upcoming year.

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

I've enjoyed being able to educate students on critical health issues that are prevalent among college students and show them ways to better themselves and the UMBC community in the hopes of influencing lifelong healthy choices beyond their college years. I also enjoy being able to work with a supportive group of people who also believe in providing guidance within health.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe that I've been able to give students more of a choice when it comes to their autonomy over their health. We're so stuck in the everyday routine of school, work, internship, study, volunteer, etc. that we forget we have the choice to do something different and make healthy decisions for ourselves. We can make choices for the benefit of ourselves and for others.

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

I would advise them to be diligent and persistent if they want to see results. I would also advise them to keep an open mind because these experiences may help shape whether or not this is a career area they want to be in.

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Want to be the next Intern of the Week?Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!

Name:Romi Pal

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:International Rescue Committee

Position Title:Immigration Intern

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

Work Term:Fall 2017

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

Last fall, I worked directly with refugee and asylee clients to help them receive immigration benefits such as adjustment of status(green card), citizenship, and family reunification. In addition, I filled out United States Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS) immigration forms for clients, and wrote financial affidavits for fee waivers. My duties also included notifying clients via telephone or mailings about matters related to their applications and assisting the immigration team with tracking, filing, and mailing relevant documents, applications, and notices of action.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I obtained this position through the UMBC Career Center. With their help, I was able to make my resume stronger, and improve my interviewing skills.

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

I enjoyed working with refugees from all over the world, and helping them obtain immigration status here in the United States. Working in such a diverse environment has inspired me to help others in the future adjust to the American way of life. As the daughter of immigrants myself, I am thankful for the sacrifices my parents made when coming to the U.S.Working at the IRC has emphasized the fact that America is a nation of immigrants, FOR immigrants, who continue to make positive contributions to our society.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

Unfortunately, more and more immigrants are being denied entry to the United States nowadays. America has always been the land of opportunity, and I believe that everybody should get the chance to succeed in our country. The refugees and asylees that came to the office are from war-torn countries and are grateful for our service. Through this internship, I gained insight into the world of international development and humanitarian relief work. I hope to use this experience and my newfound knowledge to bring awareness to these issues individuals face everyday.

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

Reach out, and do not be afraid to show your achievements to a potential internship/workplace. Networking and being able to communicate effectively are the keys to success!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!

Name:Vincent Brown

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Towson University

Position Title: Research Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biology B.A/ Ancient Studies

Work Term:Summer 2018

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I am conducting research at Towson University in the Devadas Lab. My research consists of synthesizing and characterizing gold nano-clusters which can be used for energy responsive applications such as light harvesting and theranostic applications with specific aims: (i) to enhance light collection efficiency using quantum sized clusters, (ii) to develop better labelling agents with enhanced two-photon cross-sections, and (iii) to generate efficient nano-vehicles for targeted drug delivery and cancer therapy. My day-to-day responsibilities include synthesizing the gold nano-clusters, and purifying and washing the products before characterizing them with UV-Vis Spectroscopy.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I was able to obtain this research position because my brother attends Towson University and has been apart of the research group since the spring semester. He was the one who told me about the opportunity to work in the lab for the summer and told his research mentor about me. I then scheduled a meeting with Dr. Devadas and she allowed me to join her lab for the summer.

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

What I have enjoyed most about my position is the fact that I am learning something new everyday. I am a biology major working in an inorganic chemistry lab so I didn't understand a lot of the things I had to do in the beginning. However, after performing my day-to-day responsibilities and reading research articles, I have gained a strong understanding of the reasoning behind my research. Reading so many various research articles has also helped me to learn how to efficiently read a research article and genuinely understand the material. It has been very enjoyable to go through this process and I look forward to continuing to learn throughout the summer.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe that I have brought in my hardworking character and my love for learning to my research lab. I hope that my biggest impact I make through my work is that I accomplish all the tasks I have been assigned for the summer and fulfill what has been asked of me to the best of my ability. Along with this, my intentions are that other researchers will believe the data I have collected is significant and will want to try to reproduce my results and improve my methods.

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

Don't be afraid to ask for internship or research opportunities! The easiest way to get involved is to simply ask a professor or faculty member if they are looking for an intern. The worst thing they can say is no.

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!