Faville Grove Intern 2008
Graduated University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010
Current position: PhD Student in Natural Resources, University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)
Favorite memory of the program: Bonding with the other interns, spending time in the beautiful prairies, and developing an understanding of how responsible, positive relationships between humans and the natural world can be formed are my fondest memories of the internship.
Impact of the program on your academic and/or career path: The internship was my first job working in conservation and natural resources. Without the internship I'm not sure how I would have gotten my foot in the door of the profession, and I'm not sure that I would have become as passionate or as dedicated without the internship experience. The experience I gained through the internship helped me land a student hourly position in the Endangered Resources Bureau of the Wisconsin DNR, then a contract position with them working on Hine's emerald dragonflies. After finishing undergrad I got a MS position at the University of Missouri working on stream fish vulnerability assessment and conservation planning and stayed on for a PhD looking at the effects of climate change and flow alterations on stream fish communities. The internship offered a unique perspective on both conservation and science that has served me well at all of my stops since.
How you used what you learned in the internship in future employment: The internship definitely helped me develop a better understanding of how ecosystems function and that understanding has helped me in my work since the internship. The long, hot days pulling wild parsnip definitely helped me become more patient and willing to work in tough conditions.
