Why did you choose your internship?
My passion is fish and plant, so I was looking for jobs working with them to gain more experience. I have experience in aquaponics and fish hatcheries so working in the Controlled Environment Aquaponic greenhouse seemed like a perfect fit. I also wanted to experience working in a scientific study which Professor Fitzsimmons was conducting in that greenhouse.
What did you gain from your internship experience?
I gained more experience working with fish, plants, and the enclosed aquaponic system set up which is what I wanted for future potential jobs. Most of the time we worked in groups, so I gained more experience working with a team on a work project instead of a classroom project that will translate better to real world experience. Being able to work on a scientific study for me was huge because I never understood how tedious it was, how important writing everything thing down is, and communication is key.
What factors influenced your decision to choose this experience for your internship?
I wanted to have an internship that would work around my crazy work schedule and Fitzsimmons was very understanding about classes and homework which was a huge help. This internship was in state so I didn't have to relocate and do while I was still in class which was optimal for me and my financial situation. I will also admit my interest in fish was hard to find an internship here in Tucson, so to me this was best option here in town.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
I would say to definitely pick a paid internship because your time is worth something! I suggest looking ahead of time so you can apply for multiple and have as many options as possible. Lastly, try to find an internship that would correlate closely with what you potentially want your career in so you can choose if that's something you actually want to do daily. There is nothing wrong with not liking the original plan and changing directions. Also, If you do the internship early enough you can do multiple! You could love your internship and work through school and have a job when you graduate! The sky is the limit.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
I absolutely love fish and want to help in conservation, but after talking with people in the field and seeing what all they actually do it slightly changed my mind. I realized I wanted to aim my career sights a little higher than just a fish hatchery technician and start looking at jobs a little higher rank. This is something I will want to do later in life but to start it helped me realize id like to kind of shoot for the stars. I also learned that I love entomology after working side by side at the entomology lab for some of our pilot studies. After I graduate I plan on continuing my education in classes about entomology which I would like to pursue in the future as well which I would have never known without this internship.