Internships can be key to success
Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 10, 2014
Last week, I had the chance to make it out to the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis to learn more about N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute internship program.
This year, 40 high school, college, graduate and doctoral students from 12 different institutions are working with post-harvest crops to benefit agriculture and human health.
These students aren’t just making copies or fetching coffee for supervisors — they’re picking the crops, running the actual tests and helping analyze the data they collect.
The project focuses primarily on berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, but includes other crops such as oats and broccoli.
The have spent the summer picking berries at local farms, pureeing them and running tests to learn more about their nutrients. The tests determine acidity, sugar levels, and other plant attributes, allowing the interns to explore the plants’ health benefits and help prolong crop freshness after harvest.
The study affects the agriculture and biotechnology industries, both of which are major North Carolina employers.
When I was in college, my professors continuously stressed the importance of internships. I was told to get as much experience as possible as early as possible.
Because I started out my college career as an American Sign Language major, I got a late start as a communications major focusing on public relations, but I was still able to secure four internships during my final year and a half of school.
Each experience was unique and presented its own assignments, challenges, rewards and lessons.
I started out in Gardner-Webb University’s communications office during the second semester of my junior year. I worked on news releases for the school’s website and wrote stories to go in its semi-annual magazine.
My internship supervisor, Noel T. Manning, II, took the time to work with me and help me hone my writing and interviewing skills, but perhaps the most influential thing he did was build a relationship with me that allowed me to feel comfortable in a professional work environment.
When that semester ended, I moved home to Raleigh for the summer to do an internship with the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s public affairs office. My primary focus was the State Fair, and I was able to expand my experiences beyond writing — I learned to shoot photos and video, edit video, implement a social media plan and participated in advertising and planning meetings.
This big city girl never dreamed she’d have an interest in agriculture, but it was there I learned to appreciate new things — especially local food and restaurants.
The following semester, I studied journalism in Washington, D.C., and did an internship with Religion News Service, a wire service that covers religion and ethics. During my time in Washington, I had the opportunity to learn about journalism on a national level. I even managed to get my press pass for the U.S. Capitol Building.
My final semester at Gardner-Webb, I interned at Cleveland County’s daily newspaper, the Shelby Star. It was there I got my first taste of local, daily news, as well as my first taste of working on deadline.
At each of my internships, I was surrounded by people who invested in me, challenged me and made me do hard things. They coached me through difficult assignments, tore my writing apart, then helped me build it back up again.
Not only did I gain invaluable knowledge and skills, my internships brought about connections and recommendation letters — even some lifelong friends.
The good internships are never easy. They require hard work and an investment on the student’s part, often with little or no pay, but the dividends are well worth the sacrifice.
There are a number of internship opportunities available right here in Rowan County for high school and college students.
The Salisbury Post offers internships to high school and college students who are interested in a career in journalism. Students are given the opportunity to work in the newsroom, write stories and go on assignments with reporters.
David Jones, featured in today’s article about Catawba graduates who stayed local, got his start with an internship at Catawba. The school’s athletics internship program, which is open to high school and college students, encompasses video, social media, game operations, sports information and special events.
The Research Campus has internship programs for those interested in STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, careers.
The Rowan Museum uses college and high school interns to do research, lead tours and lead summer history camps.
If you can’t find one you like, then talk to local business owners to see if you can create your own internship program. You’ll never know until you try.
Internships are a great experience and give you the opportunity to better decide what career path you want to pursue. Sometimes you’ll find out what you love, and other times you’ll figure out what you hate.
Contact education reporter Jeanie Groh at 704-797-4222 or jeanie.groh@salisburypost.com.