Internship Experiences
Brie Burns
Environmental Law Institute
“During my internship in Washington, DC, I managed volunteers, coordinated a biweekly environmental peacebuilding update (sent to over 2,000 individuals), and helped draft lectures on environmental peacebuilding for the organization’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program, Duke University, Columbia University, and the University of California, Irvine.” (Brie is in the front row, third from the right, with her intern colleagues.)
Michael McClelland
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
“I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome or experience this summer.” Michael was offered a Sales Management Trainee position at the conclusion of the summer. During his internship, Michael placed third in total sales among more than 30 interns, and his three-person group presentation—including an innovative proposal for customer service—earned first place, winning the members of his group seats at the invitation-only Top Performers Dinner. “I learned the basic skills of management, fact finding, and customer service, while finding success in a competitive sales environment. Managers were always willing to help refine, improve, and execute sales techniques, which contributed to my success.”
Jeff Lewis
Up Top Acres and Elevation Greenroofs
After creating a roof garden on campus, business major and sustainability minor Jeff Lewis interned at two organizations in this growing field: “At Up Top Acres, I learned how to profitably grow organic vegetables on a commercial farming scale. During the internship at Elevation Greenroofs, I learned how to build green roofs from the ground up—the design and structural composition. The two internships gave me the experience and confidence to make an impact in sustainable agriculture after graduation.” Jeff earned his LEED Green Associate certification shortly after completing both internships.
Mason Switzer
Schwartz Performance
Mechanical engineering major Mason Switzer interned at a custom hot rod fabrication and production facility in Chicago. “I was responsible for drawing CAD assemblies of automobile frames and parts as well as engineering and designing a prototype suspension system. I also created instruction manuals for the fabrication and assembly of the company’s custom car chassis and designed and built a display rack used to demonstrate our products at trade shows. The internship experience taught me about industry standards and innovative practices from a small-business perspective. The most important thing I learned working in a professional setting is to develop a system of communication with co-workers for effective and productive workflow.”
Zeke Ouellette
WBAL-TV11
"While interning in the sports department, I learned how to manage the station's production system, researched statistics to complement stories, logged video to prep for edits, and wrote scripts for some of the sportscasts. Working with the station's sports director and Baltimore Ravens radio broadcaster, Gerry Sandusky, was very rewarding. His experience and mentorship taught me more about the industry than any book could, and networking with him was extremely valuable.”
Samson Myers
Saint Louis Zoo
“Education is a large part of the Saint Louis Zoo’s goal, and I participated in daily tours and educational talks for everyone from young children to graduate school students. I also spent many hours maintaining the enclosures for the animals. I will continue as an intern/volunteer in the Herpetarium over the next year.”
Martin Soemarsono
Mandiri Sekuritas in Indonesia
A computer science and music double major, Martin interned in the securities industry in his home country of Indonesia. “My liberal arts background at Principia has made me a very versatile individual, enabling me to learn everything I needed for the internship during the first couple of weeks. The internship exposed me to the capital markets industry and taught me how to navigate through situations at work.”
Sophia Hathaway
University of Primorska in Slovenia
Sophia Hathaway, an environmental studies and global perspectives double major, interned with the Turtlelife project, a European Union funded program for the conservation of loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Adriatic Sea. “Field expeditions included tracking bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Slovenia and Italy and catching and marking butterflies in the Karst region of Slovenia. I also helped review and revise research papers and conducted tourist surveys about sea turtles to help determine how to best protect these magnificent creatures!”
Truett Sparkman and Timon Keller
Department of Environment in the Turks and Caicos Islands
“The experience was transformative and put my education into perspective,” Timon says. “It led me to apply to graduate school within weeks of returning to campus.”
"It was a fantastic opportunity to build experience in conservation, environmental management, and marine research,” Truett comments. “It also brought home the challenges we face in advocating for sustainability in developing countries, and it reminded me that protecting the environment requires equal attention to complex socioeconomic realities.” (Both students earned their scuba diving credentials, loved exploring the clear Caribbean water, and found that they excelled at hunting invasive lion fish!)
Connor Fiddler
Capitol Hill
“I shadowed Congressman Rodney Davis for a whole day, following him to committee hearings, constituent meetings, and even to the House Floor. The experience allowed me to see the legislative process up close and personal. His staff also encouraged interns to pursue their policy interests. For example, I helped find possible bills to co-sponsor on issues regarding defense, energy, and the growing opioid crisis. My time on Capitol Hill changed my perspective on how our government runs and the people behind it. I would encourage others to pursue a summer internship in Washington, DC.”
Leigh Weathers
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
“I absolutely loved my summer internship at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas! I had the opportunity to work with our 20 African black-footed penguins, macaws, parrots, parakeets, and an Atlantic green turtle! My job included planning diets, feeding the animals, cleaning exhibits, and giving daily talks to the public about our conservation efforts. I learned why facilities like zoos and aquariums are incredibly important. They're so much more than ‘family fun entertainment.’ They exist for two reasons—conservation and education. I have so much respect for facilities like Audubon and what they do to help save endangered species.”
Ben Robinson
Brinkmann Constructors
“I worked on bid solicitation, which involved contacting subcontractors to ask if they’d be interested in bidding on projects. I learned that I particularly like field work—being on-site with construction projects in process. It was fast-paced once the permit process lifted and we hit the ground running. I found that my engineering classes at Principia (offered in partnership with the University of North Dakota) prepared me, particularly Mechanical Design, Statics, Mechanics of Materials, and Business Analytics. Brinkmann is a great company with a friendly work environment. Just being around founder and CEO Bob Brinkmann inspired me to work hard and make the most of each day on the job. I learned how be a self-starter because the company culture strongly encourages that.”
Robby Butler
Washington University in St. Louis
"As an intern in the Alumni and Development Department, I split my time between Olin Business School, Brown School of Social Work, the School of Law, the School of Engineering, and Parent Programs, working in each department a few times a week. My favorite activity was fundraising over the phone for these schools. This was an opportunity to practice what I’ve been learning, and I found that I love this! I’m taking away a sense of how a large organization manages many levels of fundraising.”
Leah Schaefer
Capitol Hill
“I led tours of the Capitol Building, teaching guests the rich history of the building and our political system. I also handled day-to-day tasks, such as talking with constituents on the phone and conveying their concerns to the congressman and staff. After interacting with many representatives on both sides of the aisle, I learned that the grand majority of these lawmakers are genuine, intelligent, capable people who are striving to do their highest sense of right for our country. The experience was life changing.”
Riley Capp, Hannah LePoidevin, and Alden Williams
Westcliffe Performing Arts Theatre
Performing as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Riley noted, "The tale was rendered as a timely story, not just a spectacle of costumes and poetic language. We told a story, yes, yet also taught a lesson." The trio honed valuable off-stage skills, too—Hannah choreographed the production, Alden worked on sound design, and they all taught in the kids' creativity camp.
Nika Magradze, Esteban Rojas-Acura, and Emma Halsey
Adventure Tours in St. Lucia
“I worked for the finance department of the company, doing financial analysis and learning about budgets and investments,” says Esteban (pictured in the center). “I also got to rate the tours that the company offers, so some days I went on tours and then wrote reports on them.”
Cha Cha Fisher
EuroDev Business Development Group in Holland
“This Dutch company helps American businesses expand into European markets through sales and human resources outsourcing and mergers and acquisitions. I learned about their strategic approach as I dove into the nitty gritty of marketing—planning and executing mailings to potential clients, conducting correspondence for a sales vice president, and helping to increase the company’s social media presence, especially on Instagram. I loved the company culture, and working alongside interns and employees from across Europe was a learning experience in itself!
“The experience was an outstanding follow-up to my internship in Washington, DC, the previous summer. Both offered practical experience that I’m confident will help guide my next steps after graduation.”
Liz McAloney
Seattle Seahawks
“Principia's Career Options class was a great place to start the internship process. I made a series of connections at the Seahawks organization through a Principia alum, and then an adviser in the Academic & Career Advising Class coached me as I prepared for a Skype interview, which led to the internship offer. Once in Seattle, I worked on multiple events to help build the team’s fan base as part of the Seakhawks’ Street Team (pictured here). My communication and organizational skills skyrocketed because of this opportunity. Now I know what to expect working for a major league sports team.”
Nohemy Johnson
New Light in India
While interning, senior Nohemy Johnson (third from left) met a group of women working on a project called Mukti, which means liberation and freedom in Hindi. “They create products to enable women to earn money as a way to escape the sex industry and the abuse that comes with it. I helped them so I could get to know them and understand their efforts. After that, when I looked at them, I no longer saw women with a tough past, nor did I pity them. They are strong, independent, and selfless women.”
Britteni Kayser
PowerChord Inc.
As a sales and marketing intern in St. Petersburg, Florida, Britteni Kayser created content for press releases, researched case studies for clients, and worked with Photoshop and InDesign to create images for social media posts. “I learned what it's like to work full time and how important it is to love the people you work with. Everyone was so welcoming—I didn’t want to leave!”
Sierra Hussey
Breakthrough Collaborative
“I loved every minute of my teaching internship with Breakthrough Collaborative Manchester,” which serves students from under-resourced communities on their pathway to college. Every day was fun, humbling, unique, and full of growth. I have a newfound love and appreciation for teachers and teaching beyond what I expected to gain.”