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Meet #CrusaderIntern Seryna Warren ’22

Name: Seryna Warren

Class Year: 2022

Intern Title: Human Resources Project Manager

Organization: Seaside Sustainability

 

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

Over the summer, I remotely interned at an organization called Seaside Sustainability based in Gloucester, MA. At Seaside, I was a Human Resources Project Manager, where I handled internal communications between staff, and worked to prioritize the mental well-being of the employees. In this position, I managed projects pertaining to mental health and community well-being, such as workshops and newsletter programs. At Seaside, I also worked as a Green Consulting intern, where I collaborated with a team on the development of a sustainability consulting program and contract to use in collaboration with schools to help them work towards more sustainable campuses. At this internship, I also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, an award given to interns who complete a certain amount of volunteer hours.

 

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I was able to apply so much of my academic learning to my internship. As an Environmental Studies major, I am able to go into depth in a plethora of different disciplines during the academic year, from the humanities to the hard sciences. During the summer, I was able to carry over all I had learned while involved in the ENVS program to my internship. I was able to apply my knowledge of the hard sciences, such as biology and chemistry, to the brainstorming and developing of consulting areas. I also was able to utilize my knowledge from my course on environmental perspectives to prioritize ethics in the consulting program as well.

 

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

What had surprised me about being an intern was how much I was actually able to contribute to the organization. Upon starting the internship, I had the misconception that I would only be able to contribute so much, as someone with minimal experience. I totally was. wrong. During my internship, I felt as though my ideas and thoughts were well heard and included in the work that was going on, leaving me with the feeling that I had made such a strong contribution to the teams that I was on.

 

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience helped me to establish a few ideas that I have for my future. To look more positively, as a Green Consulting Intern, I was able to establish a curiosity about sustainability consulting that I continued today with my participation in the Pothos Project here at HC. I also learned through this internship that I hope to have a more active position in a career. All of my internship was done behind a computer screen, which was great as I was able to work with people all over the world, but I also found that it was not the type of work setting I hope to have in my future career. I also feel as though my internship showed me the opportunities to work in nonprofit organizations, which is another career path I hope to look more into.

 

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

My best advice when looking for / doing an internship is to make meaningful connections through networking. Over the course of my internship, I was able to meet and network with some amazing individuals. This skill of networking continues to help me today with my current internship (different from my summer internship), as well as within my career search.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern Erin Kinney ’20, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Name: Erin Kinney

Class Year: 2020

Position: Intern/ Epidemiology Workforce Branch on the Student Programs Team

Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing. 

I interned at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia this past summer. I worked within the Epidemiology Workforce Branch on the Student Programs Team. I helped evaluate and improve their selection rubric for the Science Ambassadors Program through my own independent research project. I wrote an abstract and presented my findings to CDC scientists and leaders including the division chief. This program aimed to inspire and educate middle and high school teachers from around the country in public health topics to create new lesson plans for their students in hopes of carving a career path for future public health professionals.

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship? 

From what I have learned from all of my STEM courses at Holy Cross, I was able to apply my understanding of the scientific method to my research project. Having this understanding of how to conduct my own research was essential in my success as a student intern in creating a professional list of new guidelines for the program to follow in the future. My experience with excel and creating graphics to present data were also vital skills I needed to succeed during my time spent at the CDC.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?  

The amount of independence I was granted as a summer intern surprised me. I was able to take my project in many different directions, and it was solely up to me to decide how to proceed and what the best way to present my findings were.

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?  

This experience opened my eyes to the complexities of public health on both a national and global scale. I realized my desire to contribute to public health in my future career whether that be through research, policy, or clinical practices. The CDC has influence in a variety of different fields from biosecurity to foreign aid such as fighting Ebola in the DOC. Since my time spent at the CDC this past summer, my goals of becoming a practicing physician have been solidified and placed into a new context surrounding the goals of public health.

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?  

My advice to other Holy Cross students is to being extremely open-minded during this process and to not be discouraged. I have never been to Georgia, let alone the South, until this past summer, and I am so glad I chose to take the leap of faith and experience a new city along with my new internship. Also, apply for the crusader internship fund because this made it possible for me to accept an unpaid position and gain valuable work experience.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern, Claire Hanlon ’21, Intern at Sargent Rehabilitation Center

Name: Claire Hanlon

Class Year: 2021

Internship (position & employer): Sargent Rehabilitation Center

 

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

This summer I interned at Sargent Rehabilitation Center’s Day School in Warwick, RI. As a whole, Sargent Rehabilitation Center serves adults and children with a focus on neuro-rehabilitation and striving to restore the ability to be independent. I spent my time in the day school with students with conditions such as autism, Asperger Syndrome, brain injuries, genetic disorders and other developmental disorders. I was placed with high school aged students and spent my days helping them with the curriculum and assisting in the daily operations of the classroom.

 

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

One way that I saw a direct relation between my academic learnings and my internship was through my cognitive neuroscience class that I took my sophomore year. This class focused a large portion of the semester on autism and the differences in the way that students learn along with their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. My time at Sargent Center allowed me to see these findings first hand and gave me the opportunity to find ways to help these students learn in their own ways.

 

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

One aspect of my internship that surprised me was how involved I was able to be in the student’s life. Going into the internship I wasn’t sure how helpful I would be or how much responsibility I would be given with respect to helping the students. I was lucky enough to work with a great group of staff at Sargent Center who allowed me to have a great experience and fully involve myself helping students every day. I was able to leave my internship feeling like I truly helped the students and was able to make a difference in my short time at Sargent Center.

 

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

I have always been interested in physical therapy and had pictured myself entering the sports field of therapy. However, after spending this summer at Sargent Center where the students day consists not only of math, spelling, and reading, but also occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapy, I have now opened up my eyes to a whole new aspect of physical therapy that I could picture myself working in. I have seen the important ways that physical therapy was used to improve the daily life of the students I worked with and how therapy was made enjoyable for the students. Without this opportunity to intern at Sargent Center I don’t think I would have been able to see this often overlooked aspect of physical therapy and how important it is.

 

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

The advice I would give to future Holy Cross interns would be to always go into your internship with an open mind. For me, every day at my internship was different and came with new experiences and opportunities to learn.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern, Alessandra Vasquez ’20, Intern at Dell Technologies

Name: Alessandra Vasquez 
Class Year: 2020 
Position: Global Enterprise Sales Strategy and GTM Intern
Company: Dell Technologies 

 

1. Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

I was a Global Enterprise Sales Strategy and GTM Intern at Dell Technologies this summer. Throughout the summer, I was exposed to multiple areas of the business through cross-functional projects. I audited account plans for the sales teams, analyzed and built reports from survey responses, and program managed the action plans for my team’s satisfaction report. Through this experience I gained skills in communication, Excel, and knowledge on sales and business. 

 

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I applied my academic learnings to my internship by utilizing the critical thinking and quick learning skills that are ingrained in the Liberal Arts education we receive at Holy Cross.

 

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

I was surprised at how much the company wanted to help me learn and grow. Dell really invested the companies time and resources into the internship program and offered multiple opportunities to learn new things. They also willingly allowed us to network with multiple teams to enable our understanding of different organizations.

 

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

My experience allowed me to land a full-time job at Dell after college. I will be in the Business Operations and Finance Rotational Program this August. 

 

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Network and be yourself. I was offered my internship by an Alumni (Katie Bobinski ’15), whom I met at the Women and Business Conference my Sophomore year. From that connection, we stayed in contact after the Marketing, Communications and Sales program during Spring break last year. I believe it was through this connection that I landed my job at Dell and I encourage all students to network with alumni through HC Network. Also, your personality speaks louder than your GPA. So, connect and be present during those interactions and good things will come your way! (: 
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Meet #CrusaderIntern Meghan Donahue ’21

Name: Meghan G. Donahue

Class Year: 2021

Position & Company: Yale School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit (Intern, Research Assistant)

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

This summer, I interned at the Yale School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit where I was trained to function as a full time Research Assistant, and support the functioning of multiple Alzheimer’s clinical drug trials. I had the opportunity to interact with patients presenting a wide array of cognitive abilities on a daily basis as I took their vital signs, performed EKGs, drew their blood, and administered some cognitive testing. I became adept at retrieving the major medical history of potential trial participants, and collaborated with a panel of medical professionals as they assessed these factors and other clinical measures leading to a diagnosis.

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship

As a psychology major with a health professions career track, I frequently integrated my academic learning into my day to day responsibilities.  One specific example of how I applied my classroom learning to my internship focused on the techniques necessary to process blood labs that were drawn in the office .  The challenge of balancing a centrifuge and pipetting contents from a vile utilized skills that I have practiced during my Chem and Bio lab periods.  Having had this academic experience, I felt calm and confident when handling these blood samples, and competently transferred the contents from my very first assignment onward.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

Something that surprised me about being an intern was how easy it was to grasp new workplace concepts, and apply what I have been learning in the Holy Cross classroom to real life applications. While many students find the meticulous detail of courses to be an annoyance at times, questioning if they are even pertinent to the functions of a future career, I was able to connect many bigger picture concepts to my coursework at Holy Cross.  My knowledge of psychology, cognition, memory, biology, chemistry and anatomy and physiology made my transition at Yale this summer fairly seamless and smooth. 

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

Since I am planning for a career in healthcare, what better opportunity than to be trained at a world-class medical institution in an arena that focuses on a disease that has impacted millions globally?  Not only was I able to log some of those coveted patient contact hours required for any PA school, but I was also able to practice some of the basic medical and interpersonal skills and techniques that I will be using for the rest of my professional life. 

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

My internship advice would be to identify what you want, and then try to get it.  Just because a Holy Cross student has never had an internship at a site that interests you, do not be afraid to strategically reach out and see if they would be amenable to the idea.  If you are able to secure a HC funded stipend, you are also in a position to market yourself as “free” to them.  I was the first non- Yale undergraduate student to intern at the ADRU.  I was so fortunate to secure the funding from Holy Cross, and then successfully tap into the HC alumni network to help me navigate the process, identify decision makers and share advice.  I would not have had the amazing ten-week internship that I had this summer if I had not figured out how to make a compelling “ask”.  If I can do it, so can others.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern Karina Ramos ’20, Lab Technician Intern

Name: Karina Ramos

Class Year: 2020

Internship position: Intern- Lab Technician

Employer: Proveris Scientific Corporation

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

This summer at Proveris, my main duties included running experiments for the Senior Applications Chemist and Senior Field Scientist in the chemistry laboratory. Specifically, the company’s focus is in advancing the aerosol and nasal spray technology industry, so the majority of my time was collecting data off the instrumentation and analyzing it using custom software designed by the company. Not only was I working within my immediate team, but also spent much of my time communicating and deliberating with the engineering, sales, and manufacturing teams. These wide range of duties allowed me to have a holistic understanding of the inner workings that is the pharmaceutical industry.

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

Just before I began my internship, I took Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry. In this course we learned how to read scholarly journals by meticulously studying currently published works and modeling common practices in our own papers. This skill of reading with intention allowed me to become more efficient and confident in my ability to read papers that at first seem too complex to understand. Some of my duties this summer included doing research on past literature in the field to further develop methods for more efficient data collection. My confidence in reading peer reviewed journals and gathering a consensus of the paper’s findings made me a valuable asset in the method development step in conducting experiments.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

I have been pleasantly surprised at how eager my department was to allow me to troubleshoot issues in the instrumentation and software on my own. Also, within the first couple of weeks working full-time, I was grateful enough to receive some projects that I could effectively work on myself. Working for a smaller company gave me more autonomy in day to day tasks that lead to working on customer projects independently and with confidence from my supervisors. I am thankful to be given so much responsibility at the intern level.

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience allowed me to expand my network not only into the Holy Cross alumni network, but also into the pharma industry. Working in industry instead of research (which is what I have only been exposed to) has given a good insight to what a routine looks like working for pharma.

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Network with alumni at the beginning of your junior year so they keep you in mind when applications come out in the spring! Also apply to a variety of different fields in different locations around the country.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern Adeline McCullough ’21, Animal Husbandry and Family and Youth Education Intern

Name: Adeline McCullough

Class Year: 2021

Internship Position: Animal Husbandry and Family and Youth Education Intern

Internship Employer: Mass Audubon Joppa Flatts Education Center

 

 

1.Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

I interned at a Mass Audubon Center in Newburyport this summer. There I cared for over 40 species of animals. I fed them and regulated the water chemistry of 30-gallon and 100-gallon saltwater tanks. Also, I led programs educating families about marine life.  I gave presentations, and facilitated opportunities where visitors could hold our animals. Additionally, I went on numerous trips to collect marine animals from around New England such as Plum Island, York Beach, and Gloucester.

 

 

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

My internship required a detailed knowledge of the anatomy, phylogeny, and environments of the animals housed at the center. My previous coursework in biology and chemistry at Holy Cross gave me extensive knowledge in these areas, which allowed me to be confident and prepared in my internship.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

What surprised me about being an intern was how much I enjoyed it! The other interns and employees shared the same passion for animals and the environment as I have. I had fun in bonding with the other interns, going on tidepooling trips, and even in the grunt work like cleaning the tanks.

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience made me interested in a career path working with animals. Before my internship I had a passion for biology, but I had no idea what path I wanted to follow. Now that I have experience with caring for animals, I know I want to incorporate that into my career hunt for the future.

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

My advice to other Holy Cross Students is take every opportunity you can to experience something new. A like or dislike are both equally valuable when looking towards a future career.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern, Caitlin Tzimorotas ’21, Marketing intern at HGTV Magazine

1. Tell us about your internship and the work that you are doing this summer.

This summer I am working as a marketing intern at HGTV Magazine. Some of my responsibilities include writing copy, overseeing marketing executions (such as sweepstakes and contests), communicating with brands featured in the magazine, negotiating partnerships with influencers, and helping to plan HGTV Magazine’s Blogger Block Party event in New York City.

2. What is the coolest thing about your internship or the company/organization where you intern?

I have really enjoyed seeing the “behind the scenes” of everything that goes into publishing a magazine. I have been able to communicate with brands and partners directly, which has given me so much hands-on experience and knowledge about the field of marketing.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern? 

I am surprised by how much freedom I have. At first, it was a little nerve wracking to send emails with the “HGTV Magazine” signature at the bottom, but I have come to really appreciate the responsibility I have been given.

4. How has this internship influenced your future career plans?  

This internship has helped me to see that I really enjoy working in a large and creative corporation. It has also shown me that I thrive in collaborative team environments.

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

One of the most valuable aspects of my internship has been the ability to speak to people in all different departments, from Managing Editors, to Salespeople, to the Art team. My biggest piece of advice is to talk to as many people as you can and establish relationships with those people. It can be as simple as asking them to grab a coffee, or asking them a few questions about what a typical day in the life in their position is like.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern, Caroline Babinski ’20, Digital Intern at NBC Nightly News

Meet #CrusaderIntern, Caroline Babinski ’20, Digital Intern at NBC Nightly News

1. Tell us about your internship and the work that you are doing this summer.

This summer I am a Digital Intern at NBC Nightly News! My day to day tasks include scheduling posts for our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts that correspond with daily broadcast. I am learning so much about creating a digital presence for a brand and more advanced functions of social media platforms.
2. What is the coolest thing about your internship or the company/organization where you intern?

The coolest part of my internship is my office environment! Along with working in 30 Rock, the NBC Newsroom is an amazing environment to be in. I am surrounded by a fast-paced environment that changes constantly due to the news of the day.
 
3. What has surprised you about being an intern? 
In the past, I interned at the United States Senate and at ELLE Magazine which were incredible experiences that eventually led me to my current internship at NBC. One thing that has surprised me throughout my internships is that there are so many jobs I never knew about. Through learning about all of the different positions I have been exposed to, I have gained a greater sense of what I want to do after graduation, along with affirming that careers do not have to be linear. 
 
4. How has this internship influenced your future career plans?  
During my time at Holy Cross I often would often say, “I’m interested in a career in media,” but I never actually knew what that meant. After my internship on Capitol Hill and an internship in publishing, I knew I wanted to explore news. My internship at Nightly News has given me the insight into social media and news that I wanted and now I have a deeper understanding of this industry. My internship experiences have given me a broad sense of what type of career I want to pursue, and this summer specifically  has helped me confirm that a job in media is my goal for after graduation.
 
5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Since we are usually focused on grades and schoolwork, it’s easy to think that we should not make mistakes and we should know what we are doing, but internships are for learning, not to do things we already know how to do. Always ask questions when learning new tasks in your internship since it’s better to do things correctly by asking questions rather than assuming you’ll know how to do something.
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Meet #CrusaderIntern Jullia Pham ’20, Global Merchandising Intern at Coach
Meet #CrusaderIntern Jullia Pham ’20, Global Merchandising Intern at Coach

 

1. Tell us about your internship and the work that you are doing this summer.

This summer, I am working as the Global Merchandising Intern for the Men’s Outlet Leather Goods team at Coach. Within this job position, I will be assisting Samantha Moor ‘15 and her team. This includes working with different departments like design and product development to produce a new line of products for upcoming seasons. Currently we are working on spring and summer 2020! 

 

2. What is the coolest thing about your internship or the company/organization where you intern?

One of my favorite parts of this internship is that I get exposure to all three of Tapestry’s brands including Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. Everyday I get to see new and existing products from the brands all around me. Specifically on the merchandising team, I get to see products for future seasons before they launch in stores!

 

3. What has surprised you about being an intern? 

One of my biggest surprises is the difference in culture across different companies. I previously held internship roles at Hearst Magazines in NYC and the Boch Center, a non profit in Boston. Throughout my time at all three companies, I have experienced different workplaces and their approaches to their intern programs. I have been able to learn from every experience which has helped me tremendously in identifying what type of company I want to work for post graduation. Having internship experience not only helps you to see if the role is a great fit, but also lets me explore different work cultures and company values and what type of people I want to work collaboratively with. 

 

4. How has this internship influenced your future career plans?  

This internship is my first role within the fashion and retail space. It not only allows me to understand and learn from Coach but also from a new parent company (Tapestry) that has acquired Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman as well. In addition to introducing me to a new industry, my position within the merchandising team will allow me to understand the lifecycle of a product and the development of new and existing products for months ahead. 

 

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Talk to alumni and leverage the Holy Cross network! This is advice we always hear but is absolutely one of the best advice to follow. Even if they are not at the current company you are interning, reach out for coffee or a phone call! Alumni are more than willing to share their career trajectories with current students. We are so fortunate to have an alumni network that will go out of their way to help us through their personal connections from their company, but also through their generous donations to resources like the Crusader Fund. My internship at Coach is sponsored through the Crusader Fund and my manager is alumna Samantha Moor ‘15. Without the help of alumni this wouldn’t be possible!