This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern at the National Marine Life Center (NMLC) in Bourne, Massachusetts. My internship position could be labeled as an Animal Care and Husbandry Intern as well as an Education Intern.  The opportunities I was able to experience were amazing and it was a summer I will never forget.

For the animal care portion of my internship, my responsibilities included caring for our in-house patients, Northern Red Bellied Cooters. These freshwater turtles are endangered in Massachusetts. We had several turtles that had severe shell deformities due to lack of correct enclosure lighting and food source, as well as other turtles suffering from different diseases and injuries. As an intern I was responsible for husbandry and tank care, as well as assisting in treatments, such as calcium supplements and tube feeding. The interns participated in rounds with the veterinarian and maintained the public critter tank.

As for the educational portion of my internship, I helped in leading two types of programs for kids. The NMLC has two programs that the interns were responsible for: Little Flippers Club, and Marine Medical Mystery. Little Flippers Club is for younger children, in which children learn about a group of animals through a story, arts and crafts, and presenting artifacts. In Marine Medical Mystery, the interns presented information to older groups of kids. We took a specific animal and pretended to treat that animal as if it were in the center. These education programs were good opportunities for us to present our knowledge.

As the final portion of my internship, I completed a project that consisted of creating a craft binder with instructions and samples for each craft. I also refurbished a harbor seal skeleton, creating bones out of clay that were missing, creating a new base, and new wiring.

The experience I have gained from this internship will definitely benefit me in any future endeavors. But in order to participate in this internship, I needed professional experience that I gained through the University of Connecticut’s Honors Program.  As an Honors student, I was able to participate in the Facilitator and Peer Mentoring class. This role gave me experience in leading in a classroom setting, which definitely benefited me in the education portion of my internship. I also gained one-on-one experience from UConn’s Peer Allies Through Honors (PATH) program. This benefited me in working with the other interns as well as the other staff at the NMLC.

Author Anonymous

Honors students may participate in a variety of leadership opportunities offered through the Honors Program and UConn as a whole.  These involvements provide them with invaluable experiences that contribute to their personal and professional development, often leading to further opportunities at UConn and beyond.

Some of the best opportunities to take advantage of at UConn and in the Honors Program are internships.  During the spring 2012 semester, I participated in the UConn Honors Congressional Internship Program in Washington, D.C.  Each year, UConn places a student with each one of the Connecticut Senate and House offices in Washington, D.C.  As part of this internship, I worked in the office of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3).  I applied for the D.C. internship program because I wanted to get a practical and professional experience in my discipline of political science.  I hoped the experience would help me grow professionally and that I would learn about politics and Congress in a way not possible in the classroom.  Add to that the prospect of living in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill, and the decision to apply was an easy one.

As an intern, some of my daily tasks included compiling news clippings, sorting mail, answering phones, booking tours for constituents, and entering constituent correspondence in the IQ computer system.  In addition, I often was asked to attend briefings or hearings, on topics ranging from health care to agriculture policy, and type up memos for the relevant staffer.  Furthermore, I wrote letters in response to constituent questions and performed other projects for the staff as needed.  There were often days when I was the only full-time intern in the office, adding to my responsibilities.

Also, just living in D.C. near the National Mall and Smithsonian museums, having the ability to do research for class in the Library of Congress, and experiencing many different D.C. restaurants and neighborhoods always provided so many things to do.  In particular, getting a tour of the Capitol Dome and being around for the blooming of the cherry blossoms were definitely highlights of the semester.

My experiences in UConn and Honors prepared me very well to take on this internship.  Political science courses I had taken, particularly about Congress, helped give me the knowledge to understand how the institution worked and make connections with what I experienced every day.  Furthermore, I developed organizational, research, communication, and leadership skills through Honors Program organizations, facilitating an UNIV class, and Honors coursework.

Overall, the D.C. Internship program helped me develop both professionally and academically, and made me a better political science student and citizen.  The program fulfilled and exceeded my expectations.  This amazing program is just one of the many internship opportunities the University of Connecticut and Honors Program can help students attain to further their personal and professional development.

John Dearborn, Political Science major, Honors Scholar, Class of 2013

To learn more about the UConn Honors Congressional Internship Program please visit the Honors Study Abroad/Away web page.