Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Research Assistant

July - August 2021 • Edgewater, MD

What I liked

Great learning experience about what ecological research looks like. A lot of good career development programming and meetings.

What I wish was different

I with there were more in-person interns to meet and interact with.

Advice

Definitely spread your wings while there, look at the many kinds of research being done and speak to many professionals in the field.

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Sustainability Coordinator

May 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

A fast-paced, collaborative environment with great coworkers!

What I wish was different

The hours can be crazy during the Folklife Festival

Advice

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Fellow

June 2017 - May 2018 • Crystal City, VA

What I liked

my boss

What I wish was different

the age of collegues

Advice

Look into the type of offices prior to selecting an office to work at

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Marketing Intern

May - August 2018 • Landover, MD

What I liked

Getting to know my field better and learn more about the behind the scenes.

What I wish was different

I wish that is was paid!!!!!!!

Advice

To always try as hard as you possibly can in every experience you're given.

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Collections Intern

September 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Ease of communication with intern office, networking opportunities, ease of travel, Led to fellowship opportunity

What I wish was different

N/a

Advice

Research the area thoroughly, and turn in paperwork as soon as receiving it.

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Catalonia program intern

June - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I loved to be able to meet and work with so many artists from Catalonia and also collaborate with various scholars within the fields of anthropology, folklore, event planning, and sociology.

What I wish was different

nothing

Advice

I would advise anyone interested in working the Folklife Festival to make sure you're prepared to work various tasks at the same time (simultaneous translations, cooking, and cleaning) in hot, humid weather.

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Education Intern

May - August 2018 • Edgewater, MD

What I liked

I really enjoyed working in a tight-knit team of educators and thinking on my feet. I also enjoyed delivering educational programming and learning a lot about the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had been able to work more with the students. During the summer, there is not much programming due to the fact that school is not in session, so I wasn't able to interact with as many children as I would have liked.

Advice

Be open to new experiences, and really dive deep into learning more about your own and other teaching and interpretation styles.

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Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Intern

May - August 2018 • Edgewater, MD

What I liked

I loved the work! On the day-to-day, even if it was frustrating, I usually loved what I was doing. I loved having a project that was my own, and collecting and managing its data. I liked working alone and mostly self-sufficiently. I liked data analysis and processing. I liked the culture of SERC, as much as I experienced, and I loved being trusted with the amount of responsibility I was given; it raised my self-confidence in my own abilities and competence. And it was so awesome getting to work on something I enjoyed and felt passionate about every day.

What I wish was different

My PI was great, but we had very different working styles, so that was sometimes a challenge to get our ideas across. Sometimes I wished my project was more defined or had a more definite timeline before I started.

Advice

Apply to REUs! They're super competitive and you should definitely apply for other things too, but if you hone in on a few REU locations and projects that you feel super passionate about, and you get one, it's an amazing opportunity.

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Volunteer

June - August 2018 • Edgewater, MD

What I liked

I loved the experience I received while volunteering. I learned a lot about my field of study.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Intern with the Supplier Diversity Program in the Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs

June - August 2017 • Washington, DC

What I liked

There was flexibility. Since it was an unpaid internship, there was flexibility in my hours so I was able to work another paying job.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to do the internship for longer because just as I felt like I was getting comfortable with everything and everyone, the summer was ending.

Advice

The point of an internship is learning experience and your employer knows that! Don't feel like you have to go into an internship knowing everything about the company/institution/etc. or exactly what you want to get out of it. Because it definitely is something you learn along the way.

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Cultural Interpreter Intern at the National Museum of the American Indian

June - August 2017 • Washington, DC

What I liked

I gained a lot of experience and knowledge about working in the museum field. I was able to develop my skills in researching, and apply them to a project that one would often encounter working in the museum field. I benefited a lot from being a part of the Smithsonian Institution--there were many meet and greet/job fair related activities for interns.

What I wish was different

The main thing that I wish had been different was my housing situation. Free housing was given to some interns, but as I lived in Maryland, I was not offered any housing. This made my daily commute very long and miserable. Other than that, though, I wouldn't change a thing!

Advice

Keep an open mind, don't be afraid to ask questions, and don't be afraid to approach people who you want to talk to. Benefit as much as you can from your opportunity!

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