A Postcard From: Julia Kim ’18

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kakaotalk_20160507_125034666Name: Julia (KyungIn) Kim

Year: 2018

Major: Computer Science

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

This is my second summer staying in the Philadelphia area, and it has been the best one so far. I am living in a single on campus, so I commute an hour to two hours back from work every day, so I feel like a true adult now driving my car, enjoying the freedom.

My internship is with a software company located near Philadelphia International Airport named Unirisx, and I absolutely love interning here. At Unirisx, I have been coding in Java to make a web based application, which I was not taught taking classes at school. I also have been tagging insurance documents by request of other colleagues, reading numerous insurance jargons in business documentations.

While learning different industry oriented skills, I have been constantly communicating with my supervisor and colleagues. I appreciate the friendly environment at my workplace. Everyone is nice to me and treats me like a full-time employee. We also have a cute tradition where one of the colleagues bring soft pretzels every Friday, so I decided to contribute by bringing cookies. I bought bubble teas for my colleagues last Friday as treats and was very delighted that everyone loved them!

I know that this summer internship will be the stepping stones towards my goal of going into industry after graduation. I hope to take full advantage of these three months being at Unirisx, and I aspire to grow more mature as a software engineer.

The cubicle I worked at for a few weeks in the beginning.

The cubicle I worked at for a few weeks in the beginning.

A Postcard From: Sarah Green ’18

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11811516_740745166051091_4972423412645550231_nName: Sarah Green

Year: 2018 at Haverford

Major: Sociology

Internship Placement: City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Summer.

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

This summer I am interning with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, which is a Philadelphia­ based public art nonprofit organization working to create lasting social change through socially conscious artistic practice. My job mainly involves assistance with summer events, such as a symposium hosted by Moore College of Art & Design and Mural Arts called In/Out: Ethics, Attention, and Intention in Socially Engaged Art, and research for the planning phase of a public art festival slated for the Fall of 2017. I applied for this internship because, as a Sociology major and as an artist myself, I am fascinated by the intersection of sociology and art. I believe that art can be a powerful tool of social change. I hope to pursue a career in artistic social practice after graduating, focusing on its sociological applications and its role as a force of positive social transformation. This internship has really helped me navigate my interests in a productive way, and I have gained valuable insight into what my ideal career may be.

A Postcard From: Kyra Sagal ’17

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kyraName: Kyra Sagal

Year: 2017

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

This summer, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to continue doing research at the University of Pennsylvania in Dr. David Feldser’s lab. The lab focuses on understanding lung cancer through a variety of different pathways, using both mouse models and in vitro experiments. Not only have I learned a variety of techniques, but I’ve also learned an incredible amount about myself in terms of my career goals and personal interests. Some of the work I do this summer can be used to understand how lung cancer arises and how it can better be treated. The idea that something I have done could contribute to such an important part of the health and medical field feels unimaginable. But that is what’s so amazing about research.

Why I applied for my internship:

I actually was matched with the lab last summer through the University of Pennsylvania’s CTSA Summer Undergraduate Internship Program. After the summer ended, I was asked to continue working in the lab. I absolutely love the work environment. While it is intense, the members in the lab are incredible fun loving, thoughtful, and always willing to mentor me. Having a positive internship opportunity is wonderful in college—it allows you to really see what you want to do in the future. I know that after my research experience, I will be better prepared to enter the medical field, which is my ultimate goal!

A Postcard From: Zubin Hill ’17

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img_5757Name: Zubin Hill

Year: 2017

Major: International Studies and French

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

I am currently interning with a non-profit organization called Kailend, which is based in Lomé, Togo, West Africa. I initially heard about Kailend from my eldest sister, who performed her doctoral research in Togo and collaborated with Kailend. As a French minor and International Studies major, Kailend and Togo are essentially a dream. This marks the second time I’ve been abroad in the past year (as I studied abroad in France) and I can honestly say that I can almost map the progress I have made as an independent, internationally-savvy Francophile and generally well-rounded human person. I tend not to panic anymore when I get lost (which is often) and even when I’m out of my element I take stock of the situation and decide how to move forward. Thanks to BMC, I have this opportunity to live and learn internationally and experience the sublimely friendly Togolais culture.

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While my work with Kailend is quite varied, the gist is this: I work as a co-teacher for the Street Boys Summer Enrichment Program (teaching English, providing mathematics supplements, and supervising writing lessons). The program is geared toward preparing young boys who, due to parental absence or poverty, had begun living from and off the streets to renter school and thereby place them on a pathway to success. I have also helped out at two of Kailend’s partner orphanages and done some social media advertising for Kailend.

Me in front of a road distances sign in the village of Kpalimé

Me in front of a road distances sign in the village of Kpalimé

I think some of my greatest joys from working in Togo are how communal everything is (if you get into a heated argument/negotiation with your taxi driver, passersby may step in to moderate) and the opportunity I have to interact with some truly remarkable youth. While it has been somewhat hard to adjust to the diet, I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The village on the water in neighboring country Benin

The village on the water in neighboring country Benin

A Postcard From: Linh Nguyen ’18

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Name: Linh Nguyen

Class Year: 2018

Major: Economics

Internship Placement: Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD).

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

As the Special Project Intern of CSD, I will work to assist the operation of assigned projects. My main responsibility include working closely with the Finance Team to conduct budget projection for the project., building a simple model to forecast the expenses that will be used during the project time and keep track of those expenses, working on project proposal and raise fund for the project and helping the Logistics Team with project operation if needed

Why I applied for my internship:

I want to apply my knowledge and leadership skills built at Bryn Mawr to the Project so as to increase the productivity and the success of the whole project. And I also hope to bring a fresh view and energy to the whole team as a new comer!

A Postcard From: Tenney Sprague ’17

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Name: Tenney Sprague

Year: 2017

Major: Creative Writing

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

When I first applied for an internship in the Gender, Adult Learning and Community Engagement Department at The Franklin Institute, I didn’t think that I’d even get to the interview stage. Sure, I had worked and taught a couple of classes in a museum before, but what would The Franklin Institute want with a Creative Writing major with little to no background in higher level science? Luckily, I got that interview and soon started as an intern at the museum.

From my first day I quickly saw and learned what a warm and fascinating workplace The Franklin Institute is. My coworkers come from all sorts of truly amazing backgrounds and educations (anthropologists, physicists, retired surgeons, marine biologists, etc), and when I see them in the halls, they are always working on new, interesting projects for the museum’s many programs and visitors. There is an energy and love of sharing knowledge that makes The Franklin Institute unique, and I wanted to learn from it and to contribute to the museum in any way I could.

Climbable Neural Pathways in the “Your Brain” Exhibit!

Climbable Neural Pathways in the “Your Brain” Exhibit!

While I have been kept busy with many compelling projects here at The Franklin Institute, my department has also allowed me to explore more areas of research and education that I am interested in. The “Your Brain” exhibit in the museum has sparked the development of Brain-Based Learning sessions, where educators in the surrounding districts can learn about the new research coming out about how the brain works and strategies for effective learning. These sessions in particular have captivated my interest, and along with my other projects, I have been trying to create a curriculum for understanding the dyslexic, or SLD, brain and helpful teaching/learning styles for the teachers that come to our Brain Professional Development sessions.

I already love that I am able to be a part of this incredible institution, but now I feel like they have given me the opportunity to play a more active role in giving back to the community and its education. I don’t think I could have gotten the experiences I’ve had at anywhere but The Franklin Institute, and I can’t wait to see where the rest of my summer at the museum will take me!

Books! Books! Books! All of these amazing books in the Franklin Institute stacks!

Books! Books! Books! All of these amazing books in the Franklin Institute stacks!

Why I applied for my internship:

My interests have always been all over the place (creative writing, animation, baking, teaching, tutoring kids with learning disabilities, advertising, finance, film), and I always have had difficulty picking one of those interests to focus finding an internship or job in. But since my internship last summer at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, I have noticed that more often than not I’m gravitating towards educational based opportunities.  I made my own lesson plans and taught children about Maori culture and folklore at the Children’s Museum, but I realized that while I loved teaching and the lesson plans, I wanted to see if I could affect children and their learning in an overall and behind-the-scenes sort of way. I wanted to be a part of the strive for more enjoyable and effective education in our school systems. Wondering how on earth I could find an opportunity like that, I stumbled upon the Science Education internship at The Franklin Institute on LILAC’s LanternLink.

A Postcard From: Miriam Myers ’18

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img_0904Name: Miriam Myers

Year: 2018

Major: Political Science

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

Greetings from San Francisco!

This summer, I am interning in the Office of Supervisor David Campos, who serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past month working in this office, and I have learned a lot about how government works on a local level. My very first day of work (June 7th—Election Day!) was a big one: the Board of Supervisors passed a groundbreaking resolution that had reporters calling our office from all over the country. This new legislation is intended to address the housing crisis that San Francisco has struggled with over the past years. The City is directly targeting Air B&B, which has limited the amount of available and affordable housing for many long-time residents. The following week something tragic occurred in the district that Supervisor Campos represents: there was a terrible fire that burned down half a block, leaving 60 people without homes. Most of these people were low-income, immigrants, and our office is helping these constituents find new permanent housing and get back on their feet. Just last week, our city celebrated Gay Pride weekend, and I had the opportunity to march in the parade with Supervisor Campos (see photo). That experience has been one of my most memorable moments so far—it felt incredible to walk with such an admirable, progressive politician in the city that I grew up in and love so much! I have done quite a bit of legislative research projects for Campos’s staff, and I look forward to helping them more in the coming weeks. This exposure has truly been transformative and has allowed me to think critically about the issues that my city (and country).

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A Postcard From: Jessica Nguyen ’17

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jessicaName: Jessica Nguyen

Year: 2017

Major: Biology

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going!

This summer, I am interning with Maternity Care Coalition’s North Philadelphia Breastfeeding and Community Doula Program. MCC is a non-profit organization that works towards bettering maternal and child health. There are three programs at the office I am involved in, each one offering home visits and educational support for families. For example, the breastfeeding and community doula program connects expecting mothers to doulas at no charge to the families. This program offers families who are unable to afford a doula the access to one. During the first month of my internship, I have been involved in various tasks. For instance, I assisted clients in obtaining emergency supplies such as, diapers, baby formula, and clothes, helped edit the manual for the breastfeeding peer counselor training, actively participated in meetings and support groups, and have shadowed and learned from the doulas during home visits. I also have the responsibility of conducting follow-up phone calls, in which I speak with the mothers who have utilized doulas through the organization, to better the next doula training using their feedback.

I snapped this shot while editing the training manual.

I snapped this shot while editing the training manual.

How I heard about my internship:

I actually heard about this internship opportunity through a 2014 Bryn Mawr alumni. After listening to my interests in midwifery and obstetrics and gynecology, a mutual friend of ours referred and encouraged me to pursue an internship with MCC.

Why I applied for my internship:

I like the idea of providers coming to their clients more than clients coming to their providers. I believe this makes it more personal and interactive to our clients than other traditional means. This idea is exactly what the advocates, the doulas, and the breastfeeding counselors do and I believe it is a very supportive and connective system. This is a community in which I wanted to be a part of and to learn from, which is why I quickly applied when I had the opportunity. I wanted the exposure to meaningful work in a more intimate, one to one setting. I am grateful for the opportunity to observe doulas in helping clients within the comfort of their own homes.

In preparation for the training sessions, stacks of handouts were lined up for the breastfeeding peer counselors.

In preparation for the training sessions, stacks of handouts were lined up for the breastfeeding peer counselors.

A Postcard From: Assata Acey ’19

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att00001Name: Assata Acey

Year: 2019

Major: Chemistry and Sociology

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going! It’s going quite alright. I have had the honor of assisting the chief digital and communications officer of the Supportive Housing Network of New York; I get to see an amazing individual up close and learn how to conduct interviews, manage a site, a whole new set of social skills; the lessons are endless. I also get to work on an individual project regarding staff resilience in the large scope of staff to tenant interactions. I’m in love with this scope of human service and I’ve fallen in love with the people I work with.

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How I heard about my internship:

I knew I was going to work this summer, and I initially wanted to stay in the Philadelphia area. When I went to the Career and Professional Development office, I was informed about this internship featuring my boss, Sarah, and her slew of media-related summer projects. Given my limited experience in film/media, it seemed I would have to learn a lot, but I took the chance and applied through the lantern link site. Now I spend time with the Network and see its service to the chronically homeless, while helping with a microbiology documentary on antibiotics and microbes. It’s like it was tailored to me.

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Why I applied for my internship:

I applied because it seemed interesting. I’m curious about service to others, but I was also curious about meeting a person who has such a spread of experience as Sarah. In my mind, locations were fluid and so long as I was employed, I could find the means. Once I saw how hard it would be to stay in New York, I was discouraged, but it got worked out. I’m thankful.

A Postcard From: Connie Chan ’19

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Name: Connie Chan

Year: 2019

Major: Undeclared

Internship Placement: I am working in the Davidson Laboratory at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia doing research focusing on DYT1 (early-onset primary dystonia).

What’s happening? We’d love to hear how your internship is going.

I am not sure what type of expectations I had prior to coming to the internship. I enjoyed my lab experiences and I feel that just the idea behind gaining experiences is really essential for me to further understand what my interests are and how much I am able to gain from research. I have my eyes set on having an MD/PhD however I am still indecisive on exactly what I want to focus my life on. While my path may constantly change because it is pretty unlikely that I will obtain my goals and my bliss by a straight path, I still want to be able to make the choices that would aid as the stepping stones for me to further become more happier.

Just the idea that I would have to grow up and that I would soon have to cross the threshold behind a kid and adult is terrifying—I like research but does it mean I would want to engross myself into lab every day? I should perhaps become an anthropologist and focus on intersections of gender studies and Japanese, South Korean and Chinese media (manga, dramas, music). I would be satisfied if I am able to read manga and travel to gain a better understanding on the underlying connections between different topics. It is these types of questions in the back of mind that continue to cause me to conflict myself. By researching this summer, I gain more perspectives on how I enjoy being able to research for the sake of learning more about the basis of dystonia, a movement disorder, as well as I would enjoy always being able to learn.

Science never ends—which sounds cliché but at the same time it is true. There may be days that I would dread coming into lab if I end up staying in research in the future but the whole point is that I am experiencing what it is to live in science. Currently, I am living with my life revolving researching, learning, eating and sleeping which sounds intense and it is. Having this model-like future scares me but at the same time exhilarates me. Every new experience I gain is a new path that I can make and by having the opportunity to work in a research lab and live alone has really open my eyes to this.