Tag Archives: 2019

A Postcard From: Shiwei Zhu ’19

Posted on by

zhu1Name: Shiwei Zhu

Year: 2019

Major: Psychology

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

This summer, I interned at the Office of Environmental Management and Services at the School District of Philadelphia. In June, the School District released the exciting sustainability management plan, GreenFutures. It has 5 focus areas, namely Education for Sustainability, Energy and Efficiency, Waste and Consumption, School Greenscapes and Healthy Living, Healthy School. My projects included integrated pest management (for asthma reduction), chemical management, promotion of energy education and hydration stations. I also attended a lot of meetings which allowed me to witness the progress of GreenFutures and understand the importance of partnership.

zhu2

How I heard about my internship:

I first heard about internships related to sustainability from my roommate, and got emails from Biology professor and Environmental Studies Newsletter. There were even info sessions at New Dorm Dining Hall.

Why I applied for my internship:

I was very interested in environmental protection and sustainability. I thought it would be wonderful to help promote sustainability among schools and actually see how people accomplish it.

zhu3

A Postcard From: Ayesha Islam

Posted on by

ayesha_islam_photographName: Ayesha Islam

Year: 2019

Major: Undeclared

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

When I was in high school, I flagged Center for American Progress as a public policy think tank I’d be interested in working for as a college student. I didn’t know how I’d figure out the details – where in Washington D.C. would I live? How could I afford housing and food? Who would I live with? Was I even qualified for the position? Could I take care of myself alone? Now as the summer is quickly approaching its end, I still can’t believe that everything somehow worked out. Not only did I get an incredible experience interning with Center for American Progress’ Generation Progress department, but I also survived on my own in a brand new city. I made incredible friends that will last a lifetime, explored the nooks and crannies of Washington D.C., and learned so much about myself. This summer allowed me a glimpse into what life could be like after graduating college and getting a first job in a new city.

islam1

I’ve had exciting opportunities both in and out of the job. From hitting up all the good brunch spots, hopping from one Smithsonian to the next, to catching outdoor movies under the moon, sitting by Georgetown waterfront and talking about life, and finding late-night poetry open mics, there is never a shortage of things to do in Washington D.C. Through my work at Center for American Progress, I attended a White House forum, researched a diverse array of issues including climate change, higher education, criminal justice reform, and campus sexual assault, learned from senior policy experts at the top of their fields, connected with intelligent staff members and fellow interns, attended #BlackLivesMatter protests and gun violence prevention rallies, wrote about topics I’m passionate about, and got a chance to hear from brilliant figures like Melissa Harris-Perry and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

islam3islam2

Now that summer is ending and the fall semester is just a few weeks away, there are bittersweet feelings all around. I will miss the people and places I’m leaving behind, but I’m excited to move forward!

A Postcard From: Yeidaly Mejia ’19

Posted on by

thumbnail_img_2116Name: Yeidaly Mejia

Year: 2019

Major: Undeclared

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

This summer I am interning at the ACLAMO Family Center in Norristown and the Civic Engagement Office here at Bryn Mawr. The ACLAMO Family Center is a non-profit organization that provides social services and education programs to the Latinx/Hispanic community in Norristown. During the summer, ACLAMO holds a summer program for rising first-nineth graders called Summerbridge. Summerbridge is designed to help the students bridge the gap between the academic years. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to be the science teacher for the older students (4th-9th graders) on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the older cohort accompanied by myself and the two other teachers, would head to the Morris Arboretum where they had science lessons. I have been able to gain hands on teaching experience and have grown closer with the students and their families.

mejia

As for the Civic Engagement piece, I worked closely with the office and ACLAMO to coordinate a week long program for the ADELANTE high school students. This program ran from July 25th-July 29th. We had a focus in Math and the Connections between Education, Careers, and Jobs. Each day, the students had workshops involving the theme in addition to workshops revolving college access and social issues. I was even able to work with the person who started ADELANTE, Ana Cordova, for the week! This week was extremely rewarding because I got to know all the high school students and saw them grow so much in just a week.

mejia4mejia2

Why I applied to my internship:

As I volunteered with ADELANTE this past year, I fell in love with the program and the ACLAMO organization. In the fall, I will be the ADELANTE Coordinator with Aditi Sriram. I have grown close with the students but wanted to learn more about the organization since I was only there once a week with a select group. I was extremely excited when I heard about this summer opportunity and it felt like a perfect fit considering I want to work with students and college access in the future.

mejia3

A Postcard From: Rebeca Salas ’19

Posted on by

portraitName: Rebeca Salas

Year: 2019

Major: Sociology

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

This summer, I have been interning at Providence Center in North Philadelphia. There, I have been the “College Access Support Intern.” My work has consisted of surveying Providence’s high school students’ college guidance needs and filling in the gaps. To do this, I have been working on a college access resource guide and hosting a “College 101” style workshop for the students. (Fun fact: The workshop happened yesterday, and it was a huge success!) Interning at the Providence Center has been incredibly rewarding. The experience has assured me that, after college, I will likely pursue a career in the area of college access programming/coordination. Additionally, the experience has given me a Philadelphia nonprofit to serve at during the academic year.

Why I applied for my internship:

I reached out to Providence Center about a summer internship because the community it serves resonates with me. Providence’s high school students are predominantly Latino, first-generation college students, like I am. I am doing the college access work for them because I want to help them feel more prepared and comfortable with the college process.

How I heard about my internship:

I learned about Providence Center in talking to Nell Anderson from Civic Engagement. She thought it would be a perfect fit, so I emailed them. The internship in college access work does not exist there, however, so I created it in conjunction with their staff.

A Postcard From: Assata Acey ’19

Posted on by

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.

assata2

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.

assata

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

Posted on by

Jpeg

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.

A Postcard From: Paola Salas ’19

Posted on by

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: Ruth McLeod ’19

Posted on by

20150108_214632Name: Ruth McLeod

Year: 2019

Major: Undecided

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

I am doing mitochondrial research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I am currently working on a project with two other colleagues where we are using code to match two research data sets together. The IDs of the two data sets are different but they are about the same thing. Our goal is to write a program in python that matches the two data sets using patterns in the data as a guide. This opportunity is truly exciting and amazing.

How I heard about my internship: I heard about this research opportunity at a talk that graduate students of the University of Pennsylvania had at Bryn Mawr in the year. They were talking about their research and their journey into grad school. It sounded interesting.

Why I applied for my internship: I applied for my internship because I wanted to experience what it was like to do research. This is my first research opportunity and it is incredible that I got to do it at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with such amazing people. This opportunity was one that one lives for. I could not have had a better fit.