A Postcard From: Ketki Chinoy ’18

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Name: Ketki Chinoy

Year: 2018

Major: Biology

Internship Placement: Research Intern at Duke-NUS Singapore

Walking into the ice cold lab at Duke-NUS in the morning is the perfect way to wake up if the traditional Singaporean coffee, Pokka, hasn’t already. The lab smells strongly of the chemical concoctions left to react over night and experiments that have been worked on all night. As other members of the lab walk in, we being our daily briefing of tasks which need to be completed and any updates there may be. I then spend the day with on of my two supervisors, who are post-docs in the lab, working on cell cultures, data analysis and preparation for future experiments.

Lab work requires an unpredictable time commitment as one does not know how their experiment will turn out and if they need to change or redo it. Due to this variability, planning my evenings revolves around flexibility of activities. Most days my day begins at 9am and ends at 7pm, so by the time the day is done I am exhausted and lazy to make myself some dinner. But don’t worry, this is a fantastic thing! Singapore is a foodie’s dream destination. There is cuisine from all over the world available for all range of prices. I simply pick a new spot everyday and use the fantastic MRT system to hang out the restaurant or bar for the evening. Most of the evening hotspots come with a great view of the city, a buzzing street, the beach or a river so it proves to be a fantastic place to meet some people and relax.

The weekends allow me to explore the city even more! Aside from the internationally acclaimed Singapore Zoo, Bird Park, Botanical Gardens, Gardens by the Bay and Sentosa, there are a ton of vibrant museums, festivals and electric nightlife throughout the country. Traveling is so simple because of the wonderful public transport systems and also because traveling from one end of the country to the other is a maximum of one hour by road!

It has been one month since I first came to Singapore and I have already made memories to last a lifetime, both personally and academically. I still have one more month is this truly gorgeous country and I cannot wait to see what this month unravels for me!

A Postcard From: Anisha BharathSingh ’17

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12829416_10207061522190520_6653041781511077056_o (1)Name: Anisha BharathSingh

Year: 2017

Major: Economics

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

I am currently a Digital Marketing Intern at Voyager Med, which is an online healthcare marketplace startup located in NYC. As a Digital Marketing Intern, I have responsibilities such as creating content, both written and visual, for the Voyager Med website and Social Media platforms. Additionally, I analyze metrics to see what kinds of content are receiving the most interactions, and to figure out what our audience likes to see as a way to generate potential leads for the company. Beyond just acquiring potential customers, I focus on creating relationships via Social Media to spread awareness about different health conditions and treatments.

I am very interesting in doing Marketing after I graduate from Bryn Mawr, and doing a Digital Marketing internship is a great way to get experience in just one niche of the field. I applied for this internship specifically because I do care a lot about healthcare, and do feel that people should be provided with the best treatment options, and Voyager Med just makes that process so much easier for people all over the world. Additionally, interning at a startup allows me to get my ideas out there and to be a part of setting up a social media-marketing plan.

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A Postcard From: Selena Martinez ’18

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bostonName: Selena Martinez

Year: 2018

Major: Comparative Literature

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

This summer I am interning in the Visitor Education Department at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. As a Visitor Educator I have the unique opportunity of connecting visitors with marine life through interpretation. Interpretation allows me the chance to breakdown information about a specific type of animal, habitat, ecosystem or conservation issue and translate that information to the visitor through something more relatable. This connection plays an important role in emphasizing the impact the visitors can make through conservation. I also assist visitors with interacting with a variety of marine animals. So far I have been able to gain hands on experience with sharks, shark eggs, sting rays, sea stars, jellies, hermit crabs, octopi, horseshoe crabs, scallops, oysters, flounders, red bellied turtles, and so many more marine animals. Working with these animals further strengthens my passion for protecting them and always excites me to spread more information about them to our visitors.

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Edge of Sea Touch Tank

Why I applied to my internship?:

As a comparative literature major I frequently analyze communication between cultures especially during moments of translation. Translation is not only limited to translating language. It also focuses on translating any idea in the most effective manner between parties. In this sense the Visitor Education Internship allowed me the chance to practice my translation skills over a topic I am extremely passionate about, conservation and the protection of marine animals. The New England Aquarium also provided the type of informal educational environment I was interested in. Educating others in a gallery setting with the live animals around me was the kind of classroom I wanted to work in. Furthermore this internship provided me a chance to better understand how a nonprofit organization functioned.

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My favorite marine animal, the Cuttlefish.

A Postcard From: Maeve Malloy ’17

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maeveName: Maeve Malloy

Year: 2017

Major: Psychology, Minor: Health Studies

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

Earlier this year I was applying for internships that had rigorous application processes, and after deciding those experiences weren’t right for me, I followed up about an internship posting at the Health Annex in Southeastern Philadelphia. After a 5-minute phone-interview, my current supervisor and BMC alum gave me an amazing opportunity.

I have loved my experience at the Health Annex so far. I am learning so much about primary care and patient education and advocacy through its nutrition and prenatal care departments. I get to interact with patients in various settings such as nutrition classes, prenatal assessments, and therapy groups. When I am not shadowing providers from various fields, I am working hard in my own office (WOW!) completing administrative tasks and developing patient education tools. Sometimes my job takes me out of the office, such as when we did Staff Yoga on the roof, or at the End AIDS Outreach and Prevention Summit in Center City Philadelphia. Whatever I end up doing, every day at the Health Annex offers something new to learn, or a new skill to practice.

End AIDS Summit

End AIDS Summit

Some words of advice to those looking for an internship or those who have one right now, connect with the Bryn Mawr alums in your organization’s network. Nine times out of ten you can find a few, and they are always happy to share some of their experiences with you, or to connect you with someone else who could do the same. And don’t forget to gush with them about class colors, traditions, and the other perks of being a Mawtyr, you’ll both enjoy it.

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Staff yoga (not on the roof, but still cool)

A Postcard From: Marion Silas ’16

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img_6808Name: Marion Silas

Year: 2016

Major: Growth and Structure of Cities, Minor: Italian

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

This summer I have a 9-week internship with the Department of State, working in Public Affairs at the U.S. Consulate General in Milan, Italy. Since Public Affairs is responsible for all types of media, events, and public outreach, my responsibilities change on a daily basis – which makes it really exciting! Since June was LGBTQ+ Pride Month, I spent a lot of time working with LGBTQ+ issues: helping to coordinate and photograph Milan’s Orlando vigil outside of the Consulate, compiling stories and photos from services throughout Northern Italy to send in a write-up to Washington, DC, talking with local high school students about progress in the U.S. vs. Italy, representing the Consulate at Milan Pride Week events, and organizing record Consulate participation in Milan’s Pride Parade. This month, I’ll be taking the lead in coordinating the visit of an American expert who is coming to speak with police departments in Northern Italy about combatting violent extremism in prisons.

On a day-to-day basis, I also monitor U.S. media for stories relevant to Northern Italy, create videos and social media content, and coordinate, operate and/or promote Consulate-sponsored events and speakers. So far these have ranged from a reception for the International Council of Museums to an Iftar hosted by the Consul General for leaders in the local Muslim community, to discussions with the U.S. Green Building Council on clean energy.

In addition to just being a lot of fun and introducing me to fascinating people and organizations, this internship has enabled me to work on behalf of the U.S. on causes that I care deeply about and which benefit not only Americans abroad but Italian individuals and the country as a whole. As I continue to discover the myriad ways in which U.S. diplomacy touches people throughout the world, I hope this journey won’t have to end – in fact, I now plan to take the Foreign Service Officer Test next February!

Why I applied for my internship:

I am interested in human rights and international relations and had considered if government work would allow me to have a positive impact in some way. The Department of State’s connections with the Seven Sisters and women’s college alumnae encouraged me to research potential careers with them. This internship was the perfect opportunity for me to learn about how the Dept. of State functions and what U.S. diplomacy truly means – and to enhance my Italian language skills!

How I heard about my internship:

I was researching careers with the Dept. of State and the Foreign Service and realized that they had domestic and international internship opportunities available for students.

A Postcard From: Christina Ulowetz ’17

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lilac_photoName: Christina Ulowetz

Year: 2017

Major: East Asian Studies

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

I’m spending my summer as an intern at the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC). Last summer, I studied abroad in Hakodate, Japan, and had a blast. I’m also an East Asian Languages and Cultures major, so this year, I was interested in seeing how I could use my Japanese language skills in an American context. JASC is a non-profit organization that, in a broad sense, aims to promote friendship between Japan and the U.S. They hold language classes (both English and Japanese) and host a variety of fun cultural activities to build community and celebrate Japanese culture. I specialize in event planning and executing, helping my supervisors prepare for activities and then attending to help them run smoothly. A few weeks before I started my internship, JASC hosted internationally-renowned barista Hiroshi Sawada in a latte art workshop: what an event to miss!

But I came just in time for one of JASC’s biggest annual events: a celebratory dinner at the Union League Club of Chicago. The keynote speaker was the former U.S. ambassador to Japan, J. Thomas Schieffer, but we had a last minute addition of Illinois governor Bruce Rauner. It was definitely an exciting evening! Mingling with attendees and society members, I got to hear everyone’s connections to the society and their involvement with the Japanese community of Chicago. I found it very informative as to what kind of work my major could bring me.

A Postcard From: Abbygail Brewster ’18

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kName: Abbygail Brewster

Year: 2018

Major: Sociology

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

My internship is going great! I am interning at Consumer Credit Counseling Services. Their main role is to provide financial education and counseling to people, so they are able to make sound financial decisions. With my internship, I am doing a lot of outreach within the community. One of my primary roles is building a social media presence. Another role that I enjoy is going out to the Summer Activity Camps throughout Wichita, and helping lead their Summer Savings Program which is hosted by Consumer Credit Counseling Services and a local credit union. I have also had the opportunity to research about the options for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homebuyers, and first time homebuyer grants in Kansas.abby1 One of my favorite task was researching the cost of attending college or a technical school in Kansas versus predicted salaries of college graduates. The data was then presented to teachers across Kansas to help them understand about how they can better advise students for college, but to also be conscious of student debt. This is because the average student graduates with $33,000 of debt and the total student loan debt as of March 2016 was 1.3 trillion dollars. Yikes!

How I heard about my internship:

I knew that I wanted to stay in the Wichita area for the summer, so that was my starting point. Then I found a local organization that matched non profit organizations with grants, people, and other key components for running a non profit organization. I was able to forward my resume to organizations that they had worked with. Then Consumer Credit Counseling Services was one of the organizations I heard back from and that is where I thought the best fit would be.

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Why I applied for my internship:

I knew that I wanted an internship that gave me some level of experience dealing with finances to get exposure and determine if this is where my interest truly is. I think the most typical place to work in finance is at a bank and I wanted an internship that wasn’t typical. My internship allows me to be exposed to finances, but from a different perspective. Our goal here is to help people make firm decisions about their finances by educating and counseling them, not to sell a product. I think this is a unique experience because I am able to learn and understand about a wide array of finance related topics like bankruptcy, retirement savings, buying a house, and debt management. My co-workers are certified to help people understand their options and what they can do, and the advice they give is from a true and honest place. So in simple terms, I get to work with finances and get to help people at the same time.

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A Postcard From: Paola Salas ’19

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img_4212.pngName: Paola Salas

Year: 2019

Major: Undeclared

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

I have been a part of the team at Boston Children’s that is working on HelpSteps, an online referral tool that aims to help people all over Massachusetts gain access to the health and social services that they need. The hospital is collaborating with the Boston Public Health Commission on this project to help this tool flourish over the summer and appeal to under-served people. This summer I am getting in contact with hospitals, clinics, WIC programs, child care centers, early intervention organizations, etc. in order to update HelpSteps to give the public the most helpful information. I meet with other interns, engineers, and physicians to brainstorm how to best design this tool. I was also brought onto another project, TriVox health, which serves as a disease management platform currently monitoring thousands of patients at Boston Children’s Hospital and several private practices. I am in charge of making this platform accessible to the Spanish-speaking population by editing translated medical documents and surveys. Lastly, I am also able to shadow Dr. Eric Fleegler at Boston Children’s Emergency Clinic to get a better sense of what it’s like to be a doctor. With all of these tasks, I am able to learn about the variety of opportunities that exist in healthcare and the diverse ways that you can help people.

How I heard about my internship:

I participated in the spring STEM intensive where I learned more about public health. Through that program I got in contact with many Bryn Mawr alum who were eager to help me gain experience in medicine/health. One alum discussed my interests with me and forwarded my CV to several of her peers that are current doctors in Boston. After talking to several doctors, I interviewed and chose this position at BCH.

Why I applied for my internship:

After two semesters at Bryn Mawr I wanted to give myself the chance to experience new fields over the summer. The STEM intensive opened my eyes to public health and I began to look forward to gaining insight on medicine/health/public health. This position at BCH was perfect for me because it combined my interest in health with my interest in social justice issues by helping under-served people get the services that they need.

A Postcard From: May Ninghe Cai ’17

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Name: May Ninghe Cai

Year: 2017

Major: Biology

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

This summer I am interning in the Pediatric Endocrinology department at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, CO. I am working with Dr. Green, who is a Bryn Mawr alumna. I got connected with Dr. Green through LILAC’s externship program, and it is amazing to see my one-week-externship blossom into this wonderful off-campus opportunity. Dr. Green’s research interest is on adolescents with diabetes and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). As a result, I had the opportunity to shadow the multidisciplinary PCOS clinic, where patients are educated on the basics of PCOS and then consulted by physicians from different departments (such as endocrinology, psychology, dermatology). In addition, I also gained lots of clinical exposure observing clinical research study visits. My current project is exploring the relationship between mitochondrial function and insulin resistance in youth without diabetes, and evaluating different surrogate indices used for assessing insulin sensitivity in girls with PCOS.

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One part of my project involves a lot of data processing and statistical analysis. Excel has thus become my best friend.

Since my internship is located in University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, there are tons of talks and conferences going on every week. I am able to utilize this resource and getting to hear some of the cutting-edge researches in other fields as well.

I rented an apartment in downtown Denver with another summer intern. We are blessed with Denver’s amazing public transport system, sunny and only sometimes unbearable warm weather, and lots of good hikes nearby. There are activities and festivals almost every week Denver. Every weekend, I would go out with other summer interns in the office to explore the city and enjoy the outdoors. So far, I have hiked up the Flat Irons in Boulder and the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre trail. My next stop is the Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs!

At the bottom of the Flat Irons, in Boulder, Colorado

At the bottom of the Flat Irons, in Boulder, Colorado

A Postcard From: Yilun Tang ’17

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img_3276Name: Yilun Tang

Year: 2017

Major: Mathematics/Physics

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

This summer, I am interning with Asia-Analytics in data analytics field. They have ongoing projects at several offices in Asia, but I have been very lucky for having the opportunity to work in their Shanghai office!

Data analytics is the science of analyzing raw data with the purpose of drawing conclusions about that information. It is used in many industries to support companies and organization to make better business decisions. During the last two weeks in the office, I started learning about the basics of SPSS, which is a very useful tool while processing large data sets. However, in order to understand the operations of SPSS, a strong background in Statistics is highly recommended. As a Physics and Math major, I have taken only one Statistics class, so I have found myself referring to my old textbook many times…I am trying hard to apply my knowledge at work, and it is interesting to see how the Physics and Statistics are related in ways I have not thought about. Besides the Statistics component, I have also realized that it is a very technical field, especially because it is impossible to avoid data mining, which requires a lot of coding experience.

Other than my internship, Shanghai is an amazing city with a lot to offer! As an international city, it always has so much energy. The amount of people at rush hour is incredible, as well as the heat. Also, 9 to 5 does not exist because there are “competitions” going on about who is the last one to leave the office. I normally leave at 6:30pm, but my roommate works for an internet start-up and she works from 10 to 10. They even have yoga classes at the company so that employees are not too tired from overtime… It is basically another version of New York, except for the better planned public transportation system. I really enjoy the energy and I want to make the best of my time here!

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