Author Archives: Hillary Chutter-Ames

In Their Own Words: Lelise Getu ’13

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Lelise Getu ’13 interned doing Immunology Research at the NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

What did you do?

I interned full time as a research assistant with the B-Cell Immunology Laboratory at Alexandria center for life sciences for NYU School of Medicine. During my nine weeks stay at Silverman’s laboratory, I worked on three main research projects related to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. My first research project aimed to reason out the causes for the increased rate of cardiovascular disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients when compared to healthy controls (a person without RA). I used a common biological methodology called Elisa (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) to analyze the patient’s blood samples in order to deduce different hypothesis. This methodology can be very hectic and time consuming if one wants to test different hypothesis at the same time. Hence, my second project mainly focused on developing a standard Luminex (LumAvidin) protocol that helps to test all hypotheses at the same time. My third research project on the other hand focused on finding the etiology (cause) of RA in relation to proteins called citrullinated peptides.

What did you learn?

This internship experience showed me how significant science is in solving real life problems. Through this internship experience, I have developed excellent organizational skills, including the ability to multi-task and prioritize efficiently; ability to work independently on assigned projects; excellent understanding of statistical calculations involved in data analysis: strong analytical, problem solving, organizational, and presentation skills. I also met and networked with renowned health care professionals through different lectures and journal clubs that consequently helped me to expand my knowledge on immunology and microbiology. The most exciting part of the internship was working with real RA patient’s blood sample. These brought the significance of school work to solving real life problems.

What are your plans for the future?

The research experience has made me rethink my post-graduate plans. At the moment, I am doing pre-requisites for pharmacy schools. However, from last summer internship experience I found pharmacy not that challenging. I liked the challenge and the learning process involved in doing research. Hence, upon graduation I plan to take a year off to do research and then most probably make my doctor of pharmacy degree research focused by doing PharmD/PHD.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

In Their Own Words: Katie Pett ‘13.5

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Katie Pett ’13.5  interned with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA in Kampala and Gulu, Uganda.

Katie and Students at Mulago Child Project in Kampala, Uganda

What did you do?

Through “New England Global Issues Internship 2012 – Uganda, East Africa” I had five weeks of witnessing, engaging, discussing, and processing a variety of global issues within Uganda, leaving me with a wealth of personal connections, eye-opening experiences, and long-term life lessons. The New England Global Issues Internship – Uganda, East Africa is an initiative by the New England region of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA to engage college and university students in global issues (such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, reintegration of children affected by war, etc.) through first-hand experience with  those issues.

The internship also took us to two distinct regions within Uganda. We began in the urban center of Kampala and then traveled to the rural north in Gulu. They each presented distinct global issues and cultural experiences. While in Kampala, we experienced urban poverty and the center of Ugandan economics and politics. We worked through FOCUS’ headquarters in Kampala to visit secondary schools and give lessons, lead discussion groups in the community, built a security fence,  visited the sick at Mulago Hospital, as well as went door-to-door in the Kampala slums to meet the people living there.  In Gulu, however, we worked through Sport’s Outreach – Gulu. While making door-to-door visits, running a medical clinic, and visiting the Gulu prisons, we saw the effects of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) as well as the problems rural poverty presents. The exposure to these two regions provided a more detailed perspective of the country and the variety of cultures and issues facing it.

What did you learn?

            I learned a tremendous amount during this internship. I not only gained exposure to global issues, but this internship also provided numerous opportunities to discuss and learn more about those issues in a larger context. This gave me a much deeper understanding of global issues in a manner simply not possible in the United States alone. I also gained invaluable cross-cultural experience within my team as well as in our various projects throughout the community.

What are your plans for the future?

            As an African Studies minor, this internship gave me first-hand experience within the continent. It also provided native perspective on some historical leaders I had studied (ie. Idi Amin). This trip has confirmed and deepened my desire to work internationally in a faith-based organization. There are still many, many possibilities for that type of work, but it has given me connections within the field and a broader awareness of what opportunities are available.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

Breaking News: Midd Seniors Have Voted to…

support the MiddACTION Fund with the Senior Class Gift!

(Well, yes, they also voted in the presidential election.)

This Class of 2013 and 2013.5 MiddACTION Fund will support internship and research funding for Middlebury students.  EIA is very excited that the class of 2013 and 2013.5 has chosen to support experiential learning with this gift, and that seniors have voiced their support for the importance of experiential learning in the context of their liberal arts education.

To learn more about experiential learning at EIA, and the myriad possibilities available for civic engagement, research and internships, check out go/eia.

To find an internship of your own, whether it’s for Winter Term or next summer, visit MOJO today!

 

In Their Own Words: Esme Lutz ‘12.5

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Esme Lutz ’12.5 interned with the Rehwa Society in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, India.

What did you do?

My project focuses on the Rehwa Society, an Indian nonprofit organization established in 1978 dually to promote a regional craft and provide employment specifically for women. Before traveling to India, I conducted research using many of Middlebury’s online resources in order to deepen my understanding of Indian culture and gender relations. I planned to compile a photographic documentary—using images combined with text to illustrate Rehwa’s story to a viewer—and thus spent my time in India observing the weaving process, interviewing key figures associated with the organization, photographing a variety of individuals and objects, as well as traveling to a few different workshops to compare and contrast the methods utilized there. Now near returning back to school, I am in the midst of collating the materials I collected in the way I described in my proposal (with a few small additions): composing an article to publish in a campus magazine, working with curators to exhibit the images I took at Middlebury, sharing the pictures with Rehwa to be used in a promotional “look book,” submitting written material to Rehwa to include in a future application to UNESCO to become a living heritage site, and displaying the photographs publicly via the web.

What did you learn?

My experience was not easy: I was living alone, in a small town in a rural area, unable to speak a difficult-to-just-pick-up language in a country with drastically different from the one in which I had spent most of my life. While at times being in Maheshwar was incredibly enchanting and filled me with an effusive sense of love for the world around me, at other it was exhausting, lonely, and incredibly frustrating. This being said, besides  the factual knowledge I gained, the benefits of interacting with people whose lives are very different from my own, of encountering norms and problems unfamiliar in my home environment, and of pushing myself into a situation in which I initially felt very uncomfortable, are undeniable.

What are your plans for the future?

As my studies wind to a close (in February) and I think increasingly about my next motions, my experience in India will definitely register strongly in my mind when considering characteristics I desire in a career. It was incredible to encounter people with different circumstance and background, to push myself further into situations that were momentarily uncomfortable, and to have an expanse of time to think critically about a single subject. My interests have definitely taken a more international focus, and I hope to, in part, address the fundamental challenges I observed firsthand while in Maheshwar.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

Applying for Winter Term Internship Credit

Hoping to apply to receive credit for your Winter Term internship?

Haven’t done it yet?

The official deadline to apply for Internship Credit has now passed. But all is not lost…

If you would like to apply for academic credit for a winter term internship you may still apply through MOJO. Please email Doug Adams in EIA, in addition to completing your credit application on MOJO to ensure that we are aware of the late application.  As the deadline for registering for Winter Term classes on campus is November 15, please make sure to register for a class if your internship credit application will not be completed before the November 15 deadline.  Once the application is approved you would then be able to use the Add/Drop process to drop the course and register for the internship (INT600).

Questions? Email Doug Adams in EIA at dadams@middlebury.edu.

In Their Own Words: Ellery Berk ’14

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Ellery Berk ’14 interned with Gardens for Health International in Kigali, Rwanda.   

What did you do?

For the month of June, I interned with Gardens for Health International as a communications intern, conducting interviews, collecting media and writing blogs. Gardens for Health  is an agricultural NGO that partners with Rwandan health centers to equip families facing malnutrition with the knowledge and resources for greater self-sufficiency.

What did you learn?

Through Gardens for Health, I learned anew the values of self-sufficiency and community, and I have great expectations for our partnership moving forward. I learned that it is very important to be flexible.

What are your plans for the future?

My interest in development and global health remains strong; however, I realize that my place in the field likely does not lie in a small grassroots organization. While in Rwanda, I found that the most effective work Gardens for Health did was completed by Rwandans themselves. Expat staffers provided programmatic and technical support for Rwandan staff members, but little else. From this experience, I’ve learned that if I want to continue in the global health and development field, I should probably work with larger organizations, like Oxfam or the UN, and I should get an MPP and MBA.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

In Their Own Words: Catherine Charnov ’13

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Catherine Charnov ’13 interned with Universal Records in New York City.

What did you do?

This summer, I interned in the A&R department of Universal Records in New York City. I had previous experience in music marketing, publicity and management but really wanted to understand how musical decisions are made and how artists are found. This internship was the perfect opportunity. Every day, I researched unfound and upcoming talent using online resources and sales charts to present, with a formal report, to my boss for review and the possibility of further research or analysis. I was also in charge of compiling airplay charts and lists of top artists world wide, monitoring sales spikes and online fan bases. I also got to help with miscellaneous tasks such as making CD labels and inserts, setting up instruments and stage equipment in their showcase lounge, and creating manifests for disc filing. We were also sometimes allowed to watch artists’ showcases and critique unreleased singles in listening sessions. Every Friday, representatives from different departments, such as digital marketing, the TV sync team, international dept., sales, etc., would come and speak to the interns for around an hour about what their department was and how things worked. This was extremely helpful in terms of solidifying my understanding of the company as a whole and how each piece of the larger whole fit together. Middlebury prepared me for this internship by teaching me to be timely, responsible, and eager to learn. Not much of what I did this summer could have been acquired in a classroom setting because everything was so hands-on and practical.

What did you learn?

An example of what made this internship meaningful to me was when I got to congratulate Florence + The Machine on her newest album going platinum. She came into the office and we got to present her with a gold plaque etc. It was great for me to realize not only the side of an artist’s manager, AIR representative, and sales team but also how much time and hard work the artist must put in to achieve such great successes. I was honored to be a part of Florence’s celebration. The thing I learned the most from this internship was how hard you have to work and how much you have to really want it to get anywhere in the music business. In A&R in particular— if you are behind the signing of one top-selling, amazing artist, you are golden and automatically promoted. However, if you do not get that lucky, it seems that only persistence and patience are the keys to success.

What are your plans for the future?

I think this internship will greatly impact my future career plans because before this summer, I was wondering if A&R would, after my experiences in other parts of the music business, be a better fit for my interests, and it turned out to be perfect. I would be very happy to get a job after graduation working at Universal Records of for the A&R department of another record label. I love working directly with the musicians and the music they create.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

In Their Own Words: Luke Elder ’13

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Luke Elder ‘13 interned with The Nature Conservancy in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. 

What did you do?

Luke Elder ’13 and Max Hoffman ’14 interned for The Nature Conservancy this summer.

I worked as a conservation intern for The Nature Conservancy, specifically doing land stewardship and management. We did invasive species control, native plant nursery work, vegetation monitoring, and were involved with a few studies that the TNC Island Office have been conducting for a few years.

What did you learn?

I learned a great deal about what it means to have a field job. My previous environmental or conservation work experience has only been composed of office research jobs, but working for TNC in the field truly showed me what is takes day to day to be a field biologist. For anyone interested in biology, botany, ecology, land conservation and management, I would recommend this internship without hesitation. The experience has taught me a lot about botany and plant work, something that I had never really been exposed to before. I realized that I think I have more of a passion for wildlife work (which I got a little exposure to through this internship as well). But regardless, getting the experience to help me navigate through figuring out what I like and what I don’t like has been so helpful.

What are your plans for the future?

Working for The Nature Conservancy has been a formative experience that has solidified my passion for conservation work. I plan to continue finding work in the field of conservation biology, and after my experience working for TNC I could easily see myself finding a job working for TNC in the future. I had an incredibly positive experience with the organization and have nothing but good things to say about what they do.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.

Winter Term Internship Deadlines Fast Approaching: Apply Today!

There are numerous exciting internship opportunities for J-Term: right here in Middlebury, around Vermont, in New York City and beyond. (Dhaka, Bangladesh, anyone?)

Here’s a taste:

  • Animal Planet TV 101 in NY, NY
  • New England Review Intern in Middlebury, VT
  • US Senator Patrick Leahy Intern in Burlington, Montpelier or Washington DC
  • AQF Economic Development Intern in Bangladesh
  • Teacher Assistant in Ecuador/Costa Rica
  • blueEnergy Service Learning in San Francisco
  • John Graham Shelter Assistant in Vergennes

Deadlines are quickly approaching, especially this Friday 10/19 and this Sunday 10/21. Head to MOJO to apply today!

And a reminder: the application process for credit for your Winter Term internship is explained here.

In Their Own Words: Bianca Giaever ‘12.5

“In Their Own Words” is an ongoing series featuring the experiences of Middlebury students at their summer internships. This summer Bianca Giaever ’12.5 interned with Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, MA.       

What did you do?

I worked on Cape Cod producing radio for NPR producer Jay Allison. I can’t imagine a better internship for someone interested in radio journalism. It was a small company, so I was able to do very important work. I spent the majority of the time in the field interviewing and editing my stories, so I now have built a very strong portfolio of my work.

What did you learn?

While I was there I assisted in producing the NPR show The Moth Radio Hour, made radio stories for the Cape Cod NPR Station WCAI, and also worked on their website Transom.org. Some of my work was featured on Transom, and you can find it at this link: http://transom.org/?p=29835. It’s a good summary of the work I did this summer.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m continuing to work for APM this fall from Middlebury and I’m now being paid to do so. I’m sharing my experience with others through the radio journalism and storytelling work I do on campus, organizing The Moth and teaching radio workshops. This experience has confirmed that I want to work in radio journalism after I graduate. APM has provided me with a number of connections to continue working in radio after I graduate, and I have already been in contact with The Moth and a few NPR stations.

Think this experience sounded pretty cool? Check out opportunities like this and more on MOJO.