Interning at Sea Life Aquarium has been such a meaningful experience and I feel I gained so much information by working there for a month. It has definitely made an impact on my college and career path. Before this internship, I wasn't sure if I even liked marine biology as much as I said I did, and I wasn't even sure where I would want to direct that career path. Through this internship, I learned that I really love working with animals and getting to know their personalities. It makes me more aware of the oceans around us and it has showed me that I want to pursue a career within marine biology that involves interacting with animals. I also love the working environment of an aquarium because it is very hands-on and structured. The people who work at Sea Life are also amazing and have made my experience so much better. They got me excited about things I didn't know I would be excited about. With my internship ending, I have been thinking about my future a lot more and have created somewhat of a plan for college and career path. I now know what skills I need to develop starting now to be successful in this career. I also know what classes are going to be beneficial to me in college because this career is not just about biology. I feel more prepared for my future and to enter the working world. Overall, working at Sea Life has been amazing and I am truly going to miss working the animals and the aquarists. They brought me one step closer to my future and I am very grateful.
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Part 1: Photo Essay Final Part 2: My Internship Project, Explained For my internship project, I put together mini research papers for a variety of potential reptiles that Sea Life may invest in. My job was to research different reptile species, such as lizards and snakes, that could be added to the reptile room. After I did some research, I put together a description of the animal, the needs to take care of it, and the cost of everything. These will be sent off to get funding for the reptiles. This project is beneficial to the aquarium as it expands their variety of animals and the education department. The reptiles are mainly used by education to teach the public about other animals, so adding more animals would help them show more. This project was simple, yet research intensive to find the correct information for each reptile. I checked through multiple sources to verify information as well as searched for the best price for everything. It was really interesting to see how much actually goes into taking care of animal and what is required for them to survive. I am glad that I got to be a part of a step for Sea Life.
I have had a very meaningful experience from interning at Sea Life and I have learned so much about my future career. I also felt I made a somewhat meaningful contribution to Sea Life by helping out everyone with whatever possible. I wanted to be as helpful as possible whether that was feeding animals or washing food dishes. For example, if everyone was busy at the end of the day and there was still a sink full of dishes to wash, I would start washing them so when the aquarists came back, they wouldn't have to take care of it. I hope that I made a meaningful contribution to Sea Life in the eyes of my mentor and colleagues. My work as an intern was also meaningful to my higher education in the future. I learned a lot about marine biology and about marine animals, and I feel this will help me when I begin studying my major. It has at least given me somewhat an idea of what marine biology is and how it is utilized.
My view of life beyond high school has definitely changed and developed during my time as an intern. While working with the aquarists, I saw how they interacted with each other and how they functioned as a unit, and it really showed me that the people at work can become your "work family." I never really thought of the relationships I would develop in the workplace between other workers. It made me see that work doesn't always have to be about work. While still being productive, it is still okay to have some fun in the workplace. I definitely had fun at Sea Life with the aquarists because they are so enjoyable to be around. This internship has absolutely had an influence on the direction of my life. Before, I didn't know what part of marine biology I wanted to work in even though working with animals was ideal. I have already seen the research side of marine biology with a previous experience, but this internship allowed me to work with animals first hand to explore a different side and I fell in love with it. It made me appreciate ocean life a lot more and it showed me that I want to pursue an area in marine biology that allows me to be around animals. I never really considered working in an aquarium, but if I had the chance I definitely would. Working at Sea Life Aquarium was such an eye opening experience, and maybe I will come back to work here later in life. Whenever I was confused or doubted myself while working, I would ask my mentor and colleagues questions about what I was doing. They told me not to be shy about asking questions or for help. For example, if I am feeding tanks and get confused on where the tanks are, I would ask for assistance and have the aquarists direct me to the correct tank. I have also been using advice from the article "How To Be An Intern Everyone Remembers" such as "Always be doing something," "Get to know all your colleagues early," and "Show up on time (or early) for everything." If I am not doing something, then I will offer to help someone else and if they don't have anything for me to do, I will shadow them while they work. I have gotten to know my colleagues a lot more because they have been so accepting of me, and I feel I am learning a lot about what they do and who they are. I have also been showing up on time for everything and if I know I am going to be late, I let them know what is causing the delay. Overall, I hope I am doing well as an intern and being helpful to Sea Life Aquarium. I am learning so much from this internship and it is truly helping me decide what I want to do as a career.
My project hasn't been determined quite yet. I spent the first week being settled into my internship and later this week, I will be choosing and planning my project. My project may center around target feeding with sharks, but that is still to be determined. I do know I will be doing two public presentations before my internship ends. I will be doing a shark and ray feeding show where I will be feeding a sting ray and shark tank while talking about the animals and ways to protect the environment. I will also be doing a jellyfish feeding show where I will be feeding the jellyfish while someone else talks about the animal. The skill that is most important in this role is public speaking because I will be talking to an audience and taking questions. I will need the support from the aquarists because I need to know about these animals so I can speak about them without doubt. I am looking forward to this experience yet I am nervous because I am presenting in front of many people. I think this will be a great stepping stone for me in terms of my public speaking skills and I know I will gain a lot out of it.
UPDATE (5/25/16): Today, I found out what my project will be. I just received news that we want to bring in more reptiles to expand the reptile room. I will be working with the Husbandry Assistants in creating a page proposal for each different reptile to send to VIP in hopes of receiving financial help. The proposal will include the cost of the enclosure, substrate, and food for the animals as well as description of the animal and why it would benefit the aquarium. I am very excited to begin working on this project because I will benefit Sea Life Aquarium and I will also expand my knowledge of a different area within the aquarium. Interview
Mentor: Maia Davidson What are your main duties and responsibilities?
Why did you choose to work at Sea Life?
What skills and training are necessary for your position?
Is there anything you wish you'd realized about the world of work when you were my age?
How is Sea Life structured?
What advice do you have about working here?
How important is getting along with other people in your career?
Reflection Within my internship, there is a lot of biology and I have been using some of my knowledge from biology class at Sea Life Aquarium. I have identified different parts of fish when asked and that has been helpful in some situations. I am having a lot of fun with the Aquarists. They are showing and teaching me so much, and they are also funny and entertaining. I wasn't expecting to come into a place where the staff is close with one another and able to make jokes all the time. They always want to know what the "kids are doing these days," so I will tell them everything that is popular with my age group. I have learned so much about Sea Life Aquarium such as the protocols and routines, and I am starting to know what must be done everyday. While I am still trying to catch on to the schedule, I am developing the skill of being able to take in a large amount of information at one time. There is so much that goes on at the aquarium that I need to know, so the skill of being able to retain information is very important. Overall, this week has been full of new learning experiences and I am excited to see what else is in store for me. I was amazed and excited when I first saw my workplace. I was struck by the complexity of the aquarium with its multiple systems and procedures. I also was struck by how much my colleagues have to keep track of in order to keep the aquarium working properly. The job I am doing is exciting and fun because it is very hands-on and I am learning so much. I am excited to work hands-on with the animals by feeding them, cleaning their tanks, and caring for them. I'm worried that I won't be able to catch on to all the information that is being given to me. It is important information that I know I don't want to lose. Overall, I am very excited for my internship here at Sea Life Aquarium and I am looking forward to all the experience I will gain.
During my internship, I will be at Sea Life Aquarium in Carlsbad, California. I have been in contact with Marie Collins to secure this internship, but my mentor will be Maia Davidson during my time at the aquarium. I will be doing hands-on work such as feeding animals, cleaning tanks, working with the husbandry and aquarist. At the end of the month, I will be doing a public presentation showcasing how to feed stingrays on my own. I will be learning a lot about sea animals while working with them, so I am very excited to learn how to work with these amazing animals. I am nervous about the public presentation that I will be doing at the end of the month because I will be doing it on my own without any supervision or help. Overall, I am very excited for this experience and I feel I will gain a lot of knowledge over this next month.
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