Hometown: Fruitport, MI
Major and class standing: English, Senior
Where you interned: Fenner Nature Center
What was your internship title and role/responsibilities?
As an Environmental Education Intern, I completed work on nature-based projects, assisted with summer camp programs, wrote or assisted with articles and adverts for various projects and programs, as well as social media.
How did you obtain your internship? What resources did you utilize to secure your internship?
I learned about it through Handshake, as well as with help from Maggie Harris. Shout out to her!
What did your daily routine include?
It was wildly different from day to day, but one of my more common rhythms was to work on the Monarch House project for 2-3 hours doing general upkeep of the milkweed and checking for signs of monarch eggs, larvae, adults, etc. I would do the same around the park as well, submitting data to Mission Monarch. Aside from that, I would work on duties assigned by the supervisor, events and media coordinator, or naturalists should they require it.
Your favorite experience from the internship?
My favorite experience pertains to my work on the Monarch House. I’m not great at visual design, and my first attempt at a flyer prompting the project took a couple of hours and over fifteen tries. My second flyer, however, I got within five tries. I was delighted to see my progress in such a short time on visual design.
What was your least favorite part of the internship?
My least favorite part of the internship was when I had to be on standby due to the summer camp. With over 50 kids on any given day, there was always something happening that could draw the attention of one or more staff.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
I learned a lot about tailoring social media to your audience or customer. Alexa – the writer and person in charge of the seasonal newsletters – taught me a lot about understanding and writing for your audience.
What did you learn about the industry or your career path as a result of the internship? What are your future plans?
I learned how hectic running a nonprofit can be. I worked closely with the supervisor, Sam, and saw a lot of the nitty gritty that went on each day to keep everything running smoothly.
What advice do you have for other students seeking out internship opportunities?
The best advice I can give is to go outside your usual box for your internship. If you can, you can learn a lot working outside your desired field that still holds true in the position you’re looking for.
