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Summer internships

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Summer internships

This summer, 338 Connecticut College students traveled across the country and around the world for College-funded internships, exploring careers ranging from environmental policy to fine arts.

Connecticut College has one of the most comprehensive funded internship programs in the country, providing every student the opportunity to receive an educational award of up to $3,000 for a career-related internship. The internship is part of a four-year career preparation program that focuses on helping students connect their liberal arts majors to professional opportunities and graduate study.

In 2017, The Princeton Review named the College’s internship program one of the top 25 in the nation and listed Conn among the best undergraduate institutions in the country.

Meet some of the interns: 

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Members of the Secoya Indigenous travel down a river in the Amazon rainforest

Emilio Pallares '19

Major: Environmental Studies
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador

Internship: Fundación Raíz, Painkenape, Loreto District, Perú

Fundación Raíz works alongside indigenous communities on projects geared toward environmental and cultural sustainability. Pallares lived in a Secoya Indigenous community in the Amazon rainforest for most of his internship, collecting data on hunting and interviewing people in order to understand hunting's effect on the local economy.

My experience pertains not only to my Environmental Studies major but also to my Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment personal project, which will look into rainforest resource use by the Secoyas.

Marc Klepacki '19 poses with equipment at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory

Marc Klepacki '19

Major: Biology
Hometown: Hadley, Massachusetts

Internship: Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Through hands-on experience with a variety of microscopes and working alongside biologists at the Marine Biology Laboratory, Klepacki received a broad understanding of the many areas of research available to marine biologists.

I have a new appreciation for biotechnology and research thanks to this internship. I plan on looking for jobs as a biotechnician or research assistant after I graduate, maybe obtaining a master's degree or Ph.D. down the road so I can conduct my own research.

Emily Pierce '19 at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Emily Pierce '19

Majors: Behavioral Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies (pre-med track)
Hometown: Exeter, New Hampshire

Internship: Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Pierce worked as a clinical research assistant at one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation, conducting research specific to treating patients in the headache and movement clinics of the neurology department. Understanding the research process involved in patient trials, inputting data and running tests rounded out an educational and rewarding summer experience.

My internship has shaped my future interest in working in a medical neurology department, as well as with children. I am very excited to have the opportunity to apply for a fulltime position at Children's National after I graduate in May.

Ariane Buckenmeyer '19 smiles at her desk

Ariane Buckenmeyer '19

Major: Biology
Hometown: Redondo Beach, California

Internship: Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience at the University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida

At an evolutionary genomics lab specializing in marine invertebrates, Buckenmeyer and other researchers pieced together the evolutionary tree of various phylum species and their ancestral lineages. Her research experience will serve her well as she pursues a graduate degree.

This internship, with its connections to my biology major at Conn, has provided me with a unique and amazing view into the value of bioinformatics in evolutionary research. I intend on using this project as a case study for my senior integrative project for the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment, which will look at the applications of phylogenomics in studying the impacts of modern climate change.

Sydney Krisanda '19 doing water research in Oregon

Sydney Krisanda '19

Majors: Economics and Environmental Studies
Hometown: Rochester, New York

Internship: Oregon Environmental Council, Portland, Oregon

The Oregon Environmental Council is a nonprofit that collaborates with farmers, businesses and policy makers to find innovative solutions to Oregon’s environmental issues. Krisanda worked with the water team this summer on two projects that both focused on water quality issues in Oregon. She saw first-hand how an environmental nonprofit functions and the techniques used to increase membership.

I will use this experience to help me complete my senior project—focusing on the various impacts of agricultural pollution—for the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment.

Jason Nwafor '21 in the lab

Justin Nwafor '21

Major: Chemistry
Hometown: East Hartford, Connecticut

Internship: Connecticut College Summer Science Research, New London, Connecticut

Nwafor worked on two separate projects this summer. The first involved using computational chemistry to aide in the study of Green Fluorescent Protein structures. The second focused on finding innovative water treatment methods.

One of the best parts of the summer research program is that it gave me experience both working in the lab independently, and working closely with a professor, which gave me the confidence to take the next step in the research.

Sarah Carter '19 feeds a giraffe at the Roger Williams Park Zoo

Sarah Carter '19

Major: Biology
Hometown: Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Internship: Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, Rhode Island

Animal care interns are tasked with rotating through different areas of the zoo, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the care required for a variety of animals along the way. For Carter, that meant affirming her future ambitions in veterinary medicine with a particular interest in working with wild or exotic animals.

It has been exciting rotating through each department and working with animals I have never encountered up close, and learning the differences in husbandry required for animals as small as hedgehogs and as large as elephants. I gained hands-on experience with a wide variety of animals and have a greater appreciation for the work of zoos in providing excellent animal care and contributing to conservation.

Isis Torres Nunez '20 conducts research on Barn Island

Isis Torres Nuñez '20

Major: Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Hometown: New London, Connecticut

Internship: Connecticut College Summer Science Research, New London, Connecticut

Torres Nuñez spent the summer in Conn’s Hale Laboratory examining the effects of drought on microbes, and the broader implications of those effects on different ecosystems.

It was great to get the intensive lab experience with this program, but also have opportunities to get outside and work in an environment like nearby Barn Island, which has more than 1,000 acres of ecological diversity to study.

Sarah Potter '10 at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art

Sarah Potter '19

Majors: Art History and Anthropology
Hometown: Worcester, Massachusetts

Internship: Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, Massachusetts

To publicize MASS MoCA and its mission, Potter might send emails and update spreadsheets one day, then promote the museum’s summer concert series the next. She also ran weekly patron tours, where her art history major proved valuable, while her anthropology major provided a lens to study a region formerly dominated by industrial factories. She’ll combine everything she’s learned, including new writing skills, as she pursues a museum studies certificate.

Writing in the museum's specific voice has been a challenge, but it has also been the most rewarding part of my experience. My writing has improved, and I plan to apply these skills to a job in communications or journalism after graduation.

A head and shoulders shot of Rocio Cardenas '19

Rocio Cardenas '19

Majors: Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Internship: New Moms, Chicago, Illinois

To explore a potential career in social work, Cardenas turned to New Moms, a nonprofit in her hometown. This summer, she assisted young moms in the job training program with resumes and job searching, and by helping them set and achieve quarterly goals. She also facilitated a parenting class and informed clients about programs at New Moms.

This internship has allowed me to explore my interest in social work not only through my direct exposure to the type of work that someone in that field would do, but also through many networking experiences.

Shay Quinn '19 speaks to a group of people at My Social Canvas in New York City

Shay Quinn '19

Major: Sociology
Hometown: Sudbury, Massachusetts

Internship: My Social Canvas, New York City, New York

Quinn was always on the move as the public relations and marketing intern for the fashion tech startup My Social Canvas—attending business meetings with potential clients or investors, going to photoshoots and going to My Social Canvas events throughout Manhattan.

Not only am I building my own personal network, but I have been given access to a professional business setting. My future career involves business, fashion and music and My Social Canvas gave me so many tools, experiences and contacts that will help me manifest my dream career into a reality.



Four years to your career. Learn more


August 16, 2018

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