Author: Alyssa L. Charney

The most rewarding part of this internship was being part of a team and making an impact. During my internship, my main responsibilities were researching and applying for grants as well as keeping track of and organizing records. It was rewarding to work with a team of other interns to submit a grant proposal, knowing that our work could potentially enable this organization to expand its programs and services, if it was to receive the grants we applied for. Additionally, it was very rewarding to work on grants because I proved to myself that I can adapt and learn as I go with projects, I have no prior experience with. I am very pleased that this internship gave me the opportunity to learn skillsets I may have never otherwise learned. The most challenging aspect of this internship was consistent and clear communication among team members due to working remotely. In my past employment and internship experiences, communication has never been a problem, so it was initially difficult to work on a team that struggled with communication. I feel that this was a good learning experience for me, because as a team we were able to overcome this obstacle by developing a structured system in which we could communicate more effectively. Ultimately working for a non-profit organization was very rewarding because I knew that at the end of the day my work was contributing to the services we provide to women in need.

Carly Dugan
Counseling and Human Services

I would say the most rewarding part of my internship is the people. This summer, I have had the opportunity to work with many amazing people, with all sorts of skills, talents, and backgrounds. Starting with my crew, we all knew each other from being around the squad for years, but we never really worked the same shift. Coincidentally, this summer, COVID-19 happened, and it sent my squad into a tailspin with staffing changes across the board. Luckily, as it turns out, I ended up working with two amazing people. Throughout the summer and our experiences working together, we all got closer together, to the point where we could run an emergency call on a critical patient without even saying a word to each other. We could take one look at each other and know exactly what needed to be done. It was that sense of closeness where we changed from just being a crew, but partners. Similar to the concept of police having a partner, EMS involves much of the same responsibilities (long hours, with the same people, in extraordinary circumstances), resulting in you getting to know one another. In addition to getting close with your partners in EMS, getting to know the staff at the emergency room is something that I did not expect to yield so many benefits. From making new friends to learning how patients progress, there has been a tremendous amount of knowledge that I have been working with and learning from. By learning about how patients progress, you can learn more advanced clinical knowledge, and use that knowledge in the field to better help your patients in the future.

In addition to my coworkers, it has been an amazing experience getting to know my patients. While most of our patients are a “one-and-done” deal, which is a good thing, some of our patients have complex medical and psychological issues to the effect that we see them more often. The result of this is interesting because we have the ability to treat them more than just a typical patient, we get to know them, and their family, and work with them as someone we are familiar with, rather than a blank slate. This blessing has resulted in several great experiences that remind me exactly why I do what I do.

The most challenging thing this summer has been adapting to a promotion that I recently earned. I was an EMT, a typical member of the EMS crew, but I have been since promoted to the role of Crew Chief. For years, I have been focused on one thing, and one thing only: the patient. Now, I must change that mentality, and take a step back. My role is still to be involved in patient care, as if anything wrong had happened, it would be my responsibility, but also to oversee operations. For most calls, with one patient, this is not too complex a responsibility. However, for complex emergencies such as multi-vehicle car accidents, I have to keep track of traffic, my partners, other agencies on scene, multiple patients, and coordinate with our dispatch center to get the right resources on scene as fast as we can. It is an exciting responsibility, a welcomed one, but it has been quite a transition to be the one who must make the tough decisions. Thankfully, I work with a team I trust, work well with, and they have been invaluable in helping me learn and grow.

Tommy Baran
Neuroscience

During my time working for the It Is A Keeper Blog, I have been able to learn a lot while exercising my creative abilities. Working for this Blog has been extremely rewarding because I have been combining my love for art with my passion for Digital Marketing. The tasks that I have been assigned and working on throughout the summer were Pinterest Research and Design as well as Instagram Story Design. With Social Media platforms being networks that are backed by algorithms, research involves me figuring out what posts do well and marketing new posts accordingly. This aspect of my internship has been extremely rewarding because I have never done Marketing through Pinterest and now see the importance of this major platform. The challenging aspect of this has been creating designs that look fresh and relevant. Searching for inspiration could often times be overwhelming when I looked through impressive designs. However, this challenge just encouraged me to go the extra mile and design multiple options for posts.

Kaitlyn Bentley
Marketing

What I hope to learn from my internship at the Blairstown Ambulance Corps are things that I could not physically be able to experience otherwise. Not only do I intend to learn and practice the highest quality medical care that I can, I intend to use this time to develop well-rounded skills that may not be directly related to patient care. For instance, I will be using organizational skills to juggle dozens of charts, working with a team of people I may or may not know in a large-scale incident, and improving on leadership skills.

The skills and experiences I gain from my unpaid internship develop me to be a more professional and well-rounded healthcare provider and team member. As I follow my dream to become a physician, my time spent as an EMT further entrenches my belief that this is absolutely what I want to do for the rest of my life. Whether it is the general sense of ‘family’ amongst the squad, or the rush of a lifesaving call, there is no other place that I would rather be to support me in my career choice.

Tommy Baran
Neuroscience

This summer I will be an intern with White Birch Media Group LLC., specifically working on the “It Is A Keeper” blog. I am excited for this endeavor because it combines my personal and professional interests! I have the incredible opportunity to bring together Digital Marketing and Graphic Design. As an artist that is on my way to becoming a professional Marketer, I am thrilled to learn firsthand, some of the challenging aspects of Marketing that won’t necessarily be taught in the classroom. The most important skill a Marketer could possess in this Digital era, is SEO or Search Engine Optimization. This is when you learn the unique and quickly changing algorithms of platforms like Google to then work around them in a way that will make your brand and content get as much online traffic as possible. Another skill that I will be able to build upon is Email Marketing. “It Is A Keeper” is a popular blog with over two million yearly viewers! With an audience this big, I will learn the ins and outs of writing engaging Emails that will drive viewers to new and exciting blog posts. I am extremely thankful and grateful that I will still be able to learn and grow with this virtual opportunity amidst the pandemic.

Kaitlyn Bentley
Marketing

My name is Jithin V. George and I am a rising senior Neuroscience and Biomathematics double major at the University! This summer I will continue research with the Orr lab via the Royal Experience Summer Internship Program.

This summer, I have two main projects. The first project is to complete analysis of data that I collected before the semester ended. I have to watch and score 306 videos for 5 different behaviors. Once I complete this step, I will be able to analyze data and ascertain whether a short-term exposure to high-fat diets in mice interferes with visuospatial memory! I will run statistical analyses on the data I collect, compile my findings so far, and submit an abstract for the 2020 SfN Neuroscience conference. Presenting research at conferences is an integral part of my application to MD-PhD programs and so, this is an essential experience for my future!

Once I complete the above project, I will investigate the different social compliance techniques used in political campaign ads before and after the introduction of C-SPAN. This project combines two of my favorite subjects: social psychology and data science. I am super excited about this project because it is my first foray into social psychology! When I eventually manage my own lab, I hope to engage in both behavioral neuroscience and social psychology research. Hence, this preliminary exposure is extremely important in laying the foundation for my future career!

Jithin V. George
Neuroscience, Biomathematics

This summer I have the privilege of working at Upstate Medical University in Dr. Jeffery Amack’s lab in the Cell and Developmental Biology department. The lab utilizes zebrafish embryos to study the cell biology, genetics, and biophysics of developmental processes that may have problems during embryogenesis and lead to birth defects. Specifically, I am working closely with Peu Santra, a PhD student, to examine mutations that may impact the development of hair cells that cause sensorineural deafness.

After graduation, I plan to attend medical school. Although I am passionate about becoming a physician, I am unsure how involved in research I want to be. Over the course of my experience in the lab, I hope to be able to determine to what degree I want research to be a part of my career and figure out my research interests. Additionally, I am excited to gain more hands- on experience with various laboratory techniques and protocols, especially at an academic medical institution. Since my start date was delayed due to COVID-19, I have only spent one week in the lab so far. In this short time, however, I have already learned a lot about the theory behind research I am conducting and gained a myriad of wet lab skills. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the summer holds!

Ellyn Prusinowski
Philosophy, Biochem Cell Molecular Biology

Through this internship I hope to put the critical skills I have been developing since my first year in the Counseling and Human Services program to use. I hope to practice being compassionate and empathetic when interacting with clients. A big part of my internship role is contributing to the grant writing team; my hope is to walk away from this internship understanding much more about the grant application process, and the basic requirements a non-profit needs to meet to apply for a grant. Finally, I hope to learn more about the chain of command and communication procedures in a non-profit that relies on volunteers for many of its services. I believe that this internship will inform my future career decisions because I will have knowledge about what working for a non-profit is like and will know whether doing so professionally is something I would enjoy. I will also have experience working with a specific population, women and children impacted by domestic violence. This internship will show me whether I have the emotional stamina to work with individuals in such difficult situations. I suspect that interning with the Women and Family Ascending Association will strengthen my passion for the line of work I am pursuing, help me learn the role of human service professionals in a real world context and will provide me with insight into where I could see myself working after graduation.

Carly Dugan
Counseling and Human Services

I never knew what I wanted to do with my life and where to direct my attention and passion. Within the past two years, I have slowly developed an interest in business and marketing in particular. Since starting my journey into the business world, I recognized that in order to be profound in my field, I need to become more versed in all areas. Prior to this internship I gained experience in social media, communication, and sales. Still looking to broaden my skillset, I wanted to learn more about search engine optimization, analytics, and editorial content. From my interviews, I was able to prove my writing capabilities and from there, was selected to edit Jafri Capital’s blog section of their webpage. So far, I have been working with the team to compile information regarding certain real estate investing topics. I hope to learn more about the details of Microsoft Word for structuring and creating different tables and diagrams for a professional setting. I also hope to learn from the other intern’s responsibilities. We have interns working on the social media platforms as well as an intern evaluating the data analytics of the platforms which I hope to gain insight from. I have developed a schedule with the team and communicate daily through Microsoft Teams which is a very useful tool when working with a company and staying on top of deadlines, meetings, and proper communication. This internship has and will continue to teach me valuable skills and introduce me to new tools that will be advantageous to my future.

Brianna Murawski
Marketing