Internship Profiles

Following are accounts of CALS student internships:

Kayla Shea Childers	Landscape & Nursery Horticulture	Gaylord Palms
Vivian Christmas	Food & Resource Economics	Congressman Cliff Stearns' Office
Jonathan Flowers	Geomatics	US Army Corps of Engineers
Kristen Kovalsky	Food & Resource Economics	Dairy Farmers of America
Geoffrey Lokuta	Wildlife Ecology & Conservation	Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Alesandra Reed	Environmental Science	Wetland Solutions
Janna Rosenthal	Environmental Science	Environment America
Emily Williams	Wildlife Ecology & Conservation	SCA/National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park

 

Kayla Shea Childers

Landscape & Nursery Horticulture
Gaylord Palms
Orlando, FL

How did you find your internship?

I had visited the Gaylord Palms and noticed their atrium and grounds were cared for with extremely high quality. When I started looking for an internship, my goal was to land an internship with the Gaylord Palms because of their attention to detail.

What projects did you work on?

• Green Project - Researched ways the Gaylord horticulture team could improve current practices, including attending the Gaylord Green Team meetings and expanding on the ideas and projects the team was working on
• Design Pocket Project - Researched the plant pallet I desired to use and reassembled existing irrigation with freedom from drawing board to installation
• Worked with the managers of ValleyCrest landscape services who care for the exterior scape of the Palms; attended a weekly walk-through with ValleyCrest and the Gaylord horticulture leaders of the exterior scape to keep up with improvements
• Participated in OLM Walk-through - Ornamental Landscape Services is a third party company hired to hold the relationship between the Gaylord and ValleyCrest accountable to horticultural practices and improvements for the exterior scape
• Access to Leadership Interviews - Given access to interview a company leader; asked questions about what it meant to be a leader, what they felt was most challenging and what advice they had for me as a young professional
• Sat in on financial meetings for the engineering department; horticulture is a part of the engineering department at the Palms; allowed to shadow in the meetings and ask questions
• Built pest and plant profiles for both the interior and exterior scapes

What were your duties as an intern?

My job was to learn how to ask questions. One of my leaders believed we should never stop learning how to ask well-timed and phrased questions. This idea was key to the learning process.

How did your internship help you prepare for your future career?

This internship taught me the value of always learning and changing. I learned how to propose and execute projects, be a leader of good influence, and stay informed about new and upcoming research and designs.

I also learned to never stop asking questions. I heard words of wisdom from people in leadership positions. These things have stayed with me, and I know I will continue to look back on my experience and continue to learn.

During the Gaylord Palms Horticulture Internship, I started the process of learning what it means to be a contributing team member in the horticulture industry. From Orlando to Manhattan, NY (where my current job is) my time at the Gaylord shaped me to be the best I can be for our industry.

What advice would you give other students?

Expect to work. Expect to play. Expect to be dedicated to learning and growing, applying the classroom education at UF to the field of horticulture.

The Gaylord Palms will use highly motivated, energetic people who understand a balance of business and personal life and create an environment in which you will flourish as a horticulture professional. The Gaylord Palms' landscaping is the reason it is different from every other hotel attraction in the Orlando area as well as in the nation. This means there is a great amount of attention given to detail, keeping the interior and exterior scapes as close to perfectly kept as nature will allow.

Vivian Christmas

Food & Resource Economics
Congressman Cliff Stearns' Office

Washington, D.C.

How did you find your internship?

I discovered my internship online, while searching for available internships. I found it through Congressman Cliff Stearns' web site.

I had to send my resume, application form, reference letters and an essay. Beyond that, I just worked with the scheduler to figure out when was best to go to D.C.

What were your duties?

I helped with basic office duties, such as mail, answering phones and running errands. I also helped the legislative aides and legislative director with some small jobs and processed flag requests for the Capitol.

What special opportunities did you have in Washington, D.C.?

Just working with the staff was the greatest opportunity that I had. It was wonderful to be able to experience the staff as I was able to and observe the legislative process.

Meeting people and making connections, as one of the most important pieces of the political process, was probably the best opportunity I was afforded.

What surprised you?

The staff was far more welcoming than I thought they would be. They put forth an effort to allow me to help, which was a pleasant surprise.

What did you learn?

I learned not only about the political process as a whole, but also the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity. The political game begins at a young age, and to take hold of that is to commit oneself to stepping forward now.

How did this internship prepare you for your future career?

I learned a great deal about how a congressional office works. I also learned that each office works differently and individually, according to its own framework.

The legislative process itself may be the same, but I discovered that much of understanding that process is understanding how each office is run.

What advice would you give other students?

I would advise them to really take advantage of every opportunity.

There is so much to learn in Washington, D.C., and on Capitol Hill. People are willing to help if the intern is ready to be taught.

Interning can be an incredible experience for anybody who is ready to submit to authority and to listen to what is taught, while still remembering to be up front, confident and searching for opportunities to learn.

Jonathan Flowers

Geomatics

US Army Corps of Engineers
Atlantic City, NJ

How did you find your internship?

I found my internship through an e-mail from my program director. The application process went relatively smooth, with most of the correspondence done through e-mails and a few phone calls for details after the final selections were made.

What were your duties?

• Used Hypack acquisition software for hydrographic surveying on various Army Corps survey vessels for jobs off of the New Jersey shore
• Topographic flood studies in Trenton, NJ
• Used Army Corps virtual reference system to do continuous topographic measurements on New Jersey beaches and dunes
• GPS enabled topographic surveys of beach zones during low tide
• Maintained assigned government vehicle

What surprised you?

I was most surprised by how easy my employers made my transition. They offered me a deal that was extremely pleasing to a student who had traveled so far.

What did you learn?

I am from a relatively small town and what I learned from this internship, besides the work experience, is that big cities are not as intimidating as I once thought. I was able to navigate my way from job to job easily and made the adjustment without much of a struggle.

How did this internship prepare you for your future career?

I was fortunate enough to come into my major with prior work experience, but I like to think that the more practical experience one has the better candidate he/she becomes for competitive jobs upon graduation. I feel good about my body of work, and the Army Corps of Engineers was a capstone experience for me.

What advice would you give other students who were considering this internship?

I would urge other students to pursue internship opportunities aggressively, especially if they have no prior work experience.

It is easy for students to have a distorted view of what the real job world will be like upon graduation. Internships allow for a glance into this world. The contacts I have met working on the current job market are invaluable to me.

Lastly, the quality of jobs available through the University of Florida's internship program are not available to everyone, so take advantage.

Kristen Kovalsky

Food & Resource Economics
Dairy Farmers of America
Kansas City, MO

Describe the application process.

I applied in November but did not receive an immediate response. I received an e-mail in April requesting a phone interview, which was followed by a second interview in Kansas City.

What were your duties as an intern?

As a market analyst, I worked on projects involving both internal and external analysis. I also contributed articles to the company's daily publication, the DFAToday, which features dairy industry news.

What projects did you work on?

One of my main projects involved monitoring daily milk production to identify changes in supply. I compiled the data at the county level to isolate regions which have experienced the greatest contractions in supply.

Using grocery scan data, I analyzed retail sales of fluid milk and cheese for the last 18 months. I used this information to identify changes in consumer preferences and responses to changes in price.

I assessed the economic impact of the dairy industry in certain geographic areas of the country. This information is used to make financial decisions regarding dairies in these areas.

What surprised you most?

I was surprised by how much I developed professionally. I gained practical work experience which helped me improve my problem solving skills.

What did you learn?

I learned quite a bit about the dairy industry. I learned how milk is priced and how it is regulated in ways to assure there is enough supply to meet demand.

I also learned about the business structure of a cooperative. Cooperatives are often key players in an industry because they can speak for thousands of producers.

How did your internship help you prepare for your future career?

It is difficult to analyze data if you do not know what questions to ask. This internship helped me develop my critical thinking skills by teaching me how to approach raw data to deduce a meaningful conclusion.

What advice would you give other students considering this internship?

This internship would be ideal for students who enjoy analysis of numbers. DFA is an excellent company to work for and will help you get the most value out of your internship!

Geoffrey Lokuta

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area
Palatka, FL

What were your duties?

I assisted with as many tasks as possible and learned to operate as much machinery and equipment as I desired.

My main responsibilities included roller chopping; mulching forest undergrowth; mowing, disking and rotovating food plots/dove fields; herbicide application on exotics; mowing roadsides and parking areas; lighting prescribed fires; Northern bobwhite quail call counts; white-tailed deer spotlight counts; deer, bear and turkey track counts; monitoring Eastern bluebird nest boxes; herpetofauna sampling; and machine/equipment maintenance and repair.

What projects did you work on?

I assisted with the construction of a concrete bat house for use by a group of rare bats located on the property. I was also able to spend a significant amount of time in the Ocala National Forest conducting track counts. My time in the forest allowed me to see my first Florida black bears in the wild. Because I got certified to burn last summer, I was able to use a drip torch for the first time on prescribed fires.

What did you learn?

Previous to my time here, I had never touched any of the machinery or equipment used on Caravelle Ranch. I learned how to properly operate a multi-terrain loader with a mulcher attachment; a compacter; a backhoe loader; a bulldozer with rollerchopper attached; and a tractor with a batwing mower, disk harrow and rotovator attached.

Additionally, I gained knowledge of the purpose and benefits of wildlife and land management, learned about food plots and dove fields, and refreshed my knowledge of many tree and plant species. I also learned a lot about how things are conducted inside a state agency.

How did this internship prepare you for your future career?

I have acquired priceless skills and knowledge I could not have attained through classroom instruction. The experience I have attained will be a great help in applying for graduate school and a future job. I have also built relationships with the biologists who are great contacts for graduate school.

What advice would you give other students?

I would work to develop a solid cover letter and resume and have an outside source knowledgeable in technical writing look them over. Prior to the personal interview, I would prepare by brainstorming possible interview questions. It will also help to look presentable to those conducting the interview.

If you get selected for the internship, I would make it my goal to learn as much as possible. Don't be afraid to ask if you could learn to operate a piece of equipment with which you have no experience. Additionally, ask any questions you have about how the agency works or the jobs you are completing - have a desire to learn how things function, why you are doing these tasks, what their benefit is to wildlife, etc.

Put forth the effort to develop a relationship with the biologists. They are great contacts and could help you in the future when applying for graduate school or an agency such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Alesandra Reed

Environmental Science
Wetland Solutions
Gainesville, FL

How did you find out about the internship?

I met an employee through mutual acquaintances.

What was the application process like?

First, I introduced myself and my interest in an internship via e-mail to the president/founder. Then, we met for an interview where I was questioned about the content of my resume and my academic and career interests.

What projects did you work on?

I assisted on every project I could! I participated in site visits to conduct water quality sampling, vegetation monitoring, ecological surveys, equipment maintenance, etc. I attended meetings with clients, including GRU and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. I had the opportunity to travel to many of Florida's springs as well as to South Carolina to work at the Great Swamp.

What surprised you?

I was surprised at how many different specialists from separate organizations with various backgrounds must come together to complete a project thoroughly.

What did you learn?

I learned many different skills such as the use of databases, creating maps with GIS software, as well as many field methods for ecological surveying and water quality monitoring.

How did your internship help you prepare for your future career?

Working at this environmental consulting firm helped me to be aware of the many different career options out there, whether it's working with a state organization, conducting private research or managing projects for a giant engineering firm.

It was also very eye-opening to realize first hand where environmental data comes from and what efforts are taken to obtain data of the greatest accuracy.

What advice would you give other students considering this internship?

As an intern, you're at the bottom of the totem pole. Expect nothing more.

Do whatever you can to gain experience; you may gain different knowledge than you could have predicted.

Janna Rosenthal

Environmental Science
Environment America
Washington, D.C.

How did you find your internship?

I found my internship through The Washington Center intern program, which I heard about through a friend.

What was the application process like?

I applied to The Washington Center, and they sent my information to more than 20 organizations. If an organization was interested in me, they would contact me and schedule a phone interview. If the interview goes well and they think you are qualified, they offer you a position.

What were your duties as an intern?

• Conducted research on critical environmental problems and prepared investigative reports
• Coordinated media events, assisted in the preparation of news releases and opinion pieces
• Attended meetings with lawmakers and other decision makers
• Worked with coalition partners and the state-based environment federation
• Monitored the progress of legislation in Congress and the actions of federal agencies

Specifically, I attended congressional hearings and took notes for my supervisor. I wrote a fact sheet on renewable fuels and contributed to reports. I attended lobbying meetings with my supervisor. I also assisted in a small amount of clerical work and made phone calls to representatives' offices in an effort to try to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act. I also organized a press event for a report release.

What surprised you?

The most surprising thing to me was the amount of last minute deals that are cut when trying to pass legislation.

What did you learn?

I learned how the environmental coalition works as a team in D.C. I also learned a lot about the legislative process and environmental jargon.

How did your internship help you prepare for your future career?

My internship gave me the opportunity to experience first-hand what it is like to work both in the environmental field and the non-profit sector.

What advice would you give other students considering this internship?

Be prepared to have long, busy days. I would also try to find my own internship rather than going through a program because it would allow you to have more freedom with your time outside of your internship.

Emily Williams

Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, English
SCA/National Park Service
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

How did you find your internship?

I had previously done an internship with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska through the Student Conservation Association, so I knew about the internships offered through SCA.

What were your duties?

I was part of a 3-person restoration team in the Yellowstone Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Program.

We hiked in the back country to streams or creeks where we would electrofish for native Westslope cutthroat trout. Once the fish were collected in dip nets, we took length and weight measurements and took fin clips for genetic analysis.

We sometimes extracted eggs from female trout and milt from male trout and fertilized the eggs. The fertilized eggs would be placed in air-tight canisters and transported to a hatchery. Once the eggs developed into the "eyed stage" of growth, they were transported via helicopter to High Lake. This lake is one area in which restocking of Westslope cutthroat trout is the main working project. All work was documented and entered into a database.

Other projects involved hiking several miles to a fish barrier construction site. This barrier was created last year to prevent fish movement upstream. At the barrier, I was responsible for moving heavy rocks and fallen trees out of its weir notch. I also helped conduct barrier repair and reconstruction.

What surprised you?

My job largely involved manual labor. I assumed I would be electrofishing in streams and creeks the majority of the time. Instead, I learned each project involved carrying heavy equipment over long distances and precarious slippery rocks in strong current.

I had to haul, move and throw rocks and fallen trees. I hammered, maneuvered rock bars and removed nails. It was hard work, but it was very satisfying to know I had done a job well done.

What did you learn?

I gathered a wealth of information about cutthroat trout, their life history and fish adaptations. I learned about the various drainages and the entire water system of Yellowstone. I also learned that the Yellowstone fisheries folks are probably some of the most hard core people I know.

How did this internship prepare you for your future career?

Fisheries was definitely a field I was interested in, so this internship gave me a great taste of life around fish. More importantly, this internship taught me the skills necessary to work in and out of the field - whether that be hiking for four hours and working in streams for another eight or spending an entire day in the office doing data entry.

This internship has prepared me for work in fisheries, but I am sure it will help in whatever biological field I pursue.

What would you tell others?

If you like fish and don't mind getting your hands dirty, I would highly recommend this internship.

I got to work, live and play in one of the most coveted places in the US - and hiking in back country and playing with fish were considered "work." It was definitely challenging and required hard work, but that made it all the more worth it.