Summer Internships Provide Learning Experiences, Connections
What was your internship?
I worked in my community, Flint, Mich., as a 4-H AmeriCorps service member involved creating environmental education programs for local youth and families. I primarily worked in inner-city schools, focusing on the connection between mental health and environmental harms. For my capstone project, I led a team from Michigan State University to organize a Youth in Green Spaces Festival, a week-long event highlighting the importance of safe, accessible green spaces in Flint and the surrounding areas. We partnered with local environmental justice organizations that target issues like poverty, food security, and clean water to engage youth in meaningful discussions.
What is your major?
Geosciences and environmental studies.
What did you learn from your experience?
I had the opportunity to connect with my community in ways I hadn’t before. Growing up, I participated in bottle drives, park clean-ups, and other environmental initiatives. This summer, I learned what it looks like to take on a leadership role in public service work. I spearheaded programs that addressed pressing environmental justice issues and empowered my community to take action.
Why are you interested in environmental education?
Growing up in a community that faced significant environmental challenges, I am passionate about justice and education. I was especially drawn to addressing the lack of accessible green spaces, as our community is now rebuilding from years of environmental neglect.
“This summer, I learned what it looks like to take on a leadership role in public service work.”
What was your internship?
I was a music programming intern at Sirius XM and an assistant teacher at Main Street Players in Miami.
What is your major?
Creative writing with a theatre minor.
What did you learn from your experience?
I realized I want to be a teacher. While I loved the work I did with SiriusXM, (learning Adobe Audition, Galaxy, and Music Master), I realized I was not happy in a corporate environment.
Why are you interested in radio and teaching?
My passion for teaching — and radio — is all about connections and having a directly positive impact on the people I am working with.
What was your internship?
I worked as an art advisory and appraisal intern for Gurr Johns in New York City.
What is your major?
Literature and art history.
Why are you interested in art appraisal?
I was drawn to this role because I had done research before and really enjoyed it. I was also excited about directly working with art, jewelry, and furniture. I learned a lot about the intersection of creativity and business.
What did you learn from your experience?
I gained experience in the valuation of fine art and learned a lot about the art market. I completed catalogue raisonne and exhibition history research, so I learned research practices. I also attended an on-site visit at New York Art Conservation, where I was able to look at a client’s damaged paintings and understand how they could be treated as well as how much it would cost.
What was your internship?
I was an international dialogues and international awards intern with the World Food Prize Foundation. I helped with processing nominations and evaluating profiles on the awards side, which was really fun because I got to learn a lot about these individuals and their contributions to the industry. I also helped organize events, like the Iowa Hunger Summit.
What is your major?
Economics and world politics.
What did you learn from your experience?
I gained a lot of insight on the important aspects of food security, like the agricultural aspect and the research aspect. Working to advance that mission also helped me out as I was given tasks to work on independently, which allowed me to become more organized.
Why are you interested in food security?
I’m really interested in international development in general, and one of the most important parts to that is food security as hunger is one of the biggest issues that we are dealing with right now. This position interested me because I got to see what’s being done about this issue, and it gave me perspective on how I can help out later on.
What was your internship?
I interned with Inico Biotech Co. doing market research on anti-aging products in Thailand and with Onyx Hospitality Group in their business development, commercial, distribution, sales, RDS, and revenue management sections.
What is your major?
Economics and German studies (intended).
What did you learn from your experience?
There’s a lot of attention to detail in the hospitality industry. I remember I was inspecting a property that we were renovating, and even the way we put a chair and folded towels had to be up to service standards. I learned a lot about how much detail is involved, especially in the upscale hotel industry.
Why were you interested in your internships?
I figured getting exposed to all these different experiences would be good for me. With the hotel industry particularly, I got to do lots of things, from real estate to more conventional things like sales or unique things like revenue management.
How did you find your internships?
I talked with my career advisor because at first I was apprehensive about finding an internship or Hamilton alums in Thailand. And I was right, there were only two or three alums in Thailand. I thought there was no way I would get an internship just by asking them for one, but I did. We bonded over our shared experiences at Hamilton. Ryan Lee ’88 (Inicio) and I bonded over dorm situations, and Yuthachai “Top” Charanachitta ’01 (Onyx Hospitality Group) and I bonded over the snow.
What was your internship?
I was working under the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Research Experience for Undergraduates program at University of Colorado Boulder. My program focused on the interdisciplinary aspect between engineering and social sciences to make sure the practices and work of engineering are sustainable for communities. I focused on building a training module for practitioners, engineers, and researchers on homelessness and natural hazards.
What is your major?
Sociology with an art minor.
What did you learn from your experience?
One of the biggest things was the importance of collaboration. Even though the project was mine, I had one faculty member and two graduate student mentors. I learned how to compromise different priorities and visions we had for the project. I also learned a lot about what research entails for sociology. I used a lot of the classroom experience I’ve had studying sociological frameworks and applied them to a real case scenario.
Why are you interested in natural hazards?
Before this experience, I didn’t realize how deep and wide of a range there is to learn in natural hazards and disasters. Prior to this experience, I didn’t know a lot about it other than what’s on the news or my own personal experience. Now, I learned a lot about the possibilities in terms of education and implementing these practices.
More Internship Stories
Curating Curiosity Through Summer Museum Internships
In 2023, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded Hamilton a grant for its new curatorial studies program, and this summer a handful of students had the opportunity to work behind-the-scenes as interns at regional galleries and museums. We talked with a few about their experiences.
My Semester in Washington, D.C.
Emile (Em) Vasquez Mejia ’24 spent the fall 2023 semester living and learning in Washington, D.C., through Hamilton’s D.C. Program. The anthropology major and Posse Scholar shares here some of her favorite experiences and what she learned about city life, herself, and her future.
