Sylvia Long

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship.

When I was a first-year student at FSU, I took an environmental science class. My TA talked about his research and it sounded fascinating. At the end of the semester, I asked him if I could get in contact with the PI from his lab. I did, and after interviewing I began working as an intern.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

My experiential learning opportunity began almost as soon as I was accepted, although my education in environmental science and computer science was instrumental to my understanding.

If you used any Career Center services, resources, or events to obtain your internship, what were they? How did they support your application process?

I visited the Career Center to help me with my resume. I went into the meeting using my resume from high school, and left with a proper resume to use for internships in college. Having a functional resume has helped me land opportunities throughout my time at FSU.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

At the Atwood Lab in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, I work on the PAGES CoralHydro2k Seawater Delta-18O Database. I help quality control the data and add new metadata from publications. I have also completed some analyses of model data using Python.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

During a typical day, I will meet with my lab group and discuss what needs to be done in the computational lab or the wet lab. We practice our presentations for conferences and theses defenses. I also will meet with my PI and a lab mate to quality control the database, either remotely or in the computational lab.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

This experience has taught me that research takes a lot of devotion and problem solving. Research never goes as smoothly as you may hope. However, sharing your research with others is very rewarding. Being an intern in a lab has taught me collaboration and dedication, and these strengths will carry through to my career after graduation.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

Yes, my experience in the Atwood Lab has helped me learn that I truly enjoy learning about science. Although my interests have shifted from environmental science toward genetics during the two years I have worked in the lab, spending time learning about paleoclimatology has been enriching.