Name: Gabriella Salas

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Baltimore Witness

Position Title: Writing Intern

Major or Program: Media & Communication Studies, English Literature

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Spring 2022

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I intern at Baltimore Witness which is a non-profit website that marries journalism and data transparency. My typical day involves attending in-person hearings and trials and reporting on those cases. We cover non-fatal shootings and homicides in Baltimore City. We do this with the hope of delivering transparency about the Baltimore City criminal justice system. Aside from attending hearings and trials, I also interview prosecutors and attorneys, study trends regarding crimes and trials, and I write articles for the website. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I received an email from Rebecca Adelman last semester about this opportunity and sent our Editor-in-Chief, Trina Antoine, my cover letter, resume, and sample writing. I submitted during late December and heard back fairly quickly. I had one interview and was hired on the spot. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

I have enjoyed the writing process and attending on-going trials. Some of these cases can be very interesting and seeing how the criminal justice system plays differently everyday is fascinating.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I think being able to give the residents of Baltimore a view of what's going on inside the criminal justice system is very eye-opening. Reform can't happen unless we know exactly what's going on. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

I would say that whether you're interested in journalism like me or interested in learning more about the criminal justice system, to definitely know how to write well, to know a little bit about the criminal justice system in general, and it doesn't hurt to pay attention to on-going trends in the city you're interested in. I think having that background knowledge is very helpful, especially when you're spending all of your time writing about it. 

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

Baltimore Witness has allowed me to see a different side of journalism. It's not driven to make flashy headlines, but rather to report the facts and deliver transparency to its community. 

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Name: Marvin Onwukwe

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: UMBC USM LSAMP

Position Title: Undergraduate Researcher

Major or Program: Biological Sciences

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Spring 2022

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

My responsibilities include learning laboratory procedures and getting myself up to speed with the other undergraduate researchers in the lab by undergoing training. I'd like to get onto my own project and intellectually contribute to the findings. I take part in chores, meetings, technique training and data collection. I collect flies from food vials carefully and put them to sleep with carbon dioxide and inspect them under the microscope. I need to discover their gender and safely collect the correctly designated flies from labeled fly lines so that they can be treated with the experimental variable and gage the results through their homogenized sample.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about the vacancy through a recent UMBC graduate and I had formally applied via USM LSAMP.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

Learning from experienced undergraduate peers

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe I made an impact by contributing to a greater whole. The lab is reputable, the grand scheme/goals of the research contribute to solving some of today's most relevant medical qualms of which I would be fortunate to make contributions to in the smallest part.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Now is the best time. Don't wait, you'll be happy you took the opportunity to grow.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

I feel more engaged with people who could be valuable resources. It gave me more confidence in pursuing the daunting initial steps I needed to take to find out my passions. I held so much initial fear towards the future as many do but I now feel more capable of assertive action that would put me in the right direction.

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Name: Evelyn Yuen

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Museum of the Bible

Position Title: Communications Intern

Major or Program: History and Sociology

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Spring 2022

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

As the communications intern, I am responsible for developing "stock" content for social media, press releases, and the museum's magazine. I sort through digitized artifacts and organize lists of artifacts that would be appropriate to post on social media. Interpreting the artifacts and presenting them in plain English is also part of the process. Besides that, I help research best practices and competitors' practices for podcasts and TikTok for internal use. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I obtained this position through my last position at the Museum of the Bible as a museum education intern. But originally, I learned about the intern positions at the Museum through Indeed. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

The people at the museum are amazing and very supportive. I learned a lot from them and their encouragement has given me (a non-major) so much confidence to complete my duties well. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

My manager and the staffs' appreciation and encouragement are indicators by which I know I did something helpful to the museum. Besides, my manager has given me so much freedom in my duties and allows me to express my opinions. The fact that they value my effort and opinion are clear indicators that my work is making an impact. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Be confident in your knowledge and skills and be curious all the time. Don't refrain from asking questions due to fear of asking a "stupid question." As a non-major, I did not know technical jargon and the process of establishing a marketing campaign, I learned through asking. Especially since every company and organization has their style of working, not knowing everything is not anathema and asking is not an indication of ignorance. In fact, employers expect constant communication with the intern and are welcoming towards questions. 

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

The resources from the practicum have definitely debunked many myths that I held. They have supported me well as I now know what to expect from an internship and how to get the most out of it. 

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Name: Clarence Snuggs

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Maryland General Assembly Internship Program

Position Title: Legislative Aide

Major or Program: Political Science

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Spring 2022

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I work in the office of Maryland House Delegate Pamela Queen (Montgomery County, District 14), where I draft responses to her constituents' questions, draft letters requesting support and testimony for her bills, and create plans for her weekly social media outreach. I also perform research for each bill I write support letters for to help show what the issues are and how her bills will help solve them. So far I have helped answer several residents' questions about the state government, and successfully gained support for the Delegate's bills and other initiatives from the state's citizen groups, and social media followers.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

After interning for a handful of social service and civil rights organizations, I developed a strong interest in helping legislators craft public policy. In September of my Fall 2021 semester, I talked about this with Dr. Laura Antkowiak, Director of my honors program the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, who recommended that I apply for the MGA Internship Program. During the application process, I got my resume reviewed by the Career Center, and got my personal essay reviewed by the Writing Center, both of which were impressed by my background in public service and helped me show it to the review board. After submitting it in late October, I was contacted for a number of interviews with state House Delegates, to discuss legislative aide positions. During my last Delegate Queen, from my home of Montgomery County, I expressed my knowledge of, and desire to be a part of the legislative process in Maryland. She offered me a position, which I was glad to accept. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

"I have most enjoyed drafting letters to Delegate Queen's constituents and community organizations across the state, because I know that I am playing an active role in helping them understand our state government better, and solving their challenges through getting their support for her initiatives. 

Every constituent I've helped respond to has asked good questions about how the state government can help them learn more about the policy issues they're interested in, and whether the Delegate can support some of them through her bills or those of other legislators. I know that each question answered and every challenge the Delegate's office supports brings residents one step closer to overcoming their challenges and getting the most out of living in Maryland. I feel the same way about letters requesting support for her bills, in that from what I understand from reading and researching the issues they address, they will do real good for the residents who they're aimed at supporting, and encouraging community organizations who are working on them to support her efforts makes me proud to be part of the legislative process, and part of the solutions."

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

"I believe I have made a positive impact on the lives of fellow Maryland residents through my work, by helping to get them the information, and state support they need to get their needs addressed. Legislative representatives are here to represent the interests of their constituents, through developing new policies which address the challenges they are facing. Every constituent I have helped respond to, and every community organization I have convinced to support the Delegate's bills have 

provided them support when they've needed it, and encouraged them to be agents of change for the issues they want to see improvement in. "

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Look for job fields which align with your interests, and apply for positions which will let you use your skills and experience to do the job in the best way possible. Internship coordinators are eager to take on students who are interested in learning about the type of work they do, and will be glad to sit down and talk with you about opportunities with them if you show them how you can be a valuable addition to their team.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

Look for ways to make a positive difference for the people you're serving, in every task you have in your internship.

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