Reflecting on Internship, Marine Bio Major says, "I’ve Learned So Much"

June 10, 2018

By Samantha Davern ’19, Marine Biology
Alaska Sea Life Center

The past few weeks have been incredible. At first, I was nervous about starting, as I didn’t really know anybody and only had a general idea about what I would be doing for the rest of the summer. However, the laboratory coordinator was incredibly nice and made me feel welcomed from the start.

She wasn’t expecting me to know how to do anything from the get go and took her time to show me where everything was, to teach me how to use the instruments and other tools I will be using throughout the summer, and to show me around the facility and go over what would be expected of me.

From that first day, I was already doing hands-on work with helping my supervisor run urinalysis and hematology tests.

Now, I am able to run the entire blood work on an animal without her being present, especially for seals as those are the most common, and the white blood cells are easier to differentiate as compared to the otter.

The culture of the SeaLife Center depends on the day. Although everyone is always friendly, some days can be slower than others. In the lab, I can find myself cleaning or organizing for hours when there are no samples to run or exams going on. Other days, I’m helping restrain a seal for sedation or x-rays or helping with the blood draw, and then I go to the lab to run the tests on the blood sample. It’s not intense, but it is not carefree either, and they put a lot of trust and responsibility on the fellows right from the start, which was nerve-racking but also exciting at the same time.

I am both able to work alone and in a group of people, which I appreciate because there are times in which I prefer to be on my own and do my own thing, but there are also times where I like working in a team. It’s a small aquarium, so it feels like everyone in husbandry is all one big family.

I would like to work at a place like this in the future, where everyone knows one another and where it isn’t always insanely fast paced. I would like to work somewhere that has a welcoming feeling, and I prefer smaller locations where you can form a bond with your coworkers. After four weeks here, I’ve already learned so much, and know there is always more to learn. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store.

The Bergami Summer Internship Program is funded through the generosity of Board of Governors member – and former Board Chair – Sam Bergami ’85 EMBA and his wife, Lois, and the Division of Student Affairs. The students are blogging about the experience throughout the summer.