in·tern·ship: A summer job that gives students field experience
This summer, hundreds of USU students will leave Logan to work as interns in a variety of fields across the country. Though the title “intern” often implies getting coffee and making copies, many USU students have found internships that allow them to do practical work in their chosen fields and explore their future careers.
Taryn Rowe is a junior majoring in biology and a self-professed “germ freak,” who said she loves bacteria. This summer she will intern at Virginia Tech. There she will be working with a project that monitors E. coli transmission in cattle and other hydroponic projects, she said.
Rowe said she was anticipating entering dental school after graduating, until she discovered her passion for microbiology in a class she took. She said internships can be a great opportunity for students to explore different careers before choosing one to stick with.
“It can be like a trial run for your career,” she said.
Though many students think internships mean unpaid work, Rowe said her program pays for housing, food and travel, as well as a stipend.
“The chance to work on something that I really love is the most exciting part,” she said.
Carlie Morrison, a senior majoring in marketing and economics and Huntsman Scholar, Morrison said she’ll spend four weeks in Prague at the University of Economics. Her time will be spent learning about marketing and management in post-socialist Eastern European bloc countries.
“I’ve wanted to go to Prague for so long,” she said. “This just seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Morrison said she found her program through searching the Internet, then enlisted the help of the Huntsman Scholars program to help fund it. She also her employer to help pay for airfare.
“I anticipated the whole process of applying and then getting everything ready would be a huge headache,” she said. “But I haven’t had to do it alone. So many people have been really willing to help.”
Morrison said she hopes her work in Prague will give her an advantage and a unique perspective as she pursues her future career in either foreign policy or veterans’ rights.
“Everyone learns in the classroom,” she said. “The real advantage is for people who find a way to work outside of it.”
Amy Rohman, a junior majoring in conservation and restoration ecology, will take her third internship since coming to USU as part of the Research Experience for Undergrads (REU), a National Science Foundation program. She said she will research questions about climate change on plants in the West, primarily in Idaho and Logan.
She said the project was conceived when her mentor discovered old drawings that mapped plant plots’ change over time. When her mentor went to check out the location of the plots, she said he discovered they were still there.
Rohman applied to several REU programs across the country, but she said she believes being able to interview in person helped her stand out to Logan researchers.
“It’s important to do anything that makes you memorable,” she said. “Know your professors and talk to them, so that they can write you good letters of recommendation when you apply for internships.”
She said knowing professors on a personal basis can also help students secure internship positions, some of which they won’t have to apply for if professors who need interns are already familiar with their work.
Rohman said within her major, internships provide her with research experience that will be essential when she applies to graduate programs.
Students interested in obtaining internships, either next school year or for the summer, can find assistance at Career Services inside the lower level of the University Inn.
Donna Crow, executive director of Career Services and Student Success, said the Career Services center is expanding this year to include student employment. The new program will help students at every level of the employment process, from finding their first job on campus to finding internships and preparing for grad school or careers.
“We are becoming a one-stop shopping destination for careers and employment,” Crow said.
Students seeking internships or advice on how to compile strong cover letters, resumes and references can schedule appointments with Career Services at any time, she said. Students can also use the Career Aggie account, a free career and internship Web search service for all USU students.
Crow said all students should visit the Career Services office or website, where they can find helpful resources for becoming stronger internship candidates.
– m.van911@aggiemail.usu.edu