Jacob McDaniel is an environmental sciences: ecosystems major from Bow, New Hampshire. Thanks to COLSA’s SOAR Fund, he was able to accept a summer internship with New Hampshire Turtle Rescue, which helped him gain important skills in wildlife conservation.
The SOAR Fund supports undergraduate students by providing stipends that can be used to supplement unpaid internships or pay for transportation to interviews and career events. The SOAR Fund accepts applications year-round. While all COLSA students are invited to apply, applicants with financial need are strongly encouraged.
Jacob McDaniel: My internship was with New Hampshire Turtle Rescue. I helped with routine care of the turtles in the clinic, such as feeding them and cleaning their enclosures. I also helped release many of the patients we took in this summer, as well as identified potential release locations for other patients. In addition, I would use telemetry equipment to track the movement of some of the turtles that we released.
Jacob: I found out about the internship from a natural resources and the environment career fair this past semester.
Jacob: I have always been interested in a potential career related to wildlife conservation, and I thought that this internship would be a great opportunity to gain some experience in the field, as well as learn about some of the local wildlife of New Hampshire.
Jacob: I am most proud of the many releases that I was a part of. After caring for these turtles over the course of the summer, it was always gratifying to be able to release them back to their homes and see our hard work pay off.
Jacob: I believe the most valuable thing I learned was how to properly care for the patients that were in our care. It was interesting to see just how much effort goes into caring for each patient and being able to be a part of! that was incredible.
Jacob: The SOAR fund allowed me to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity at New Hampshire Turtle Rescue. Because it was unpaid, I may not have been able to accept the position without the SOAR fund.
Jacob: I would definitely recommend attending career fairs, as well as taking advantage of any funding or grants that could allow you to accept unpaid positions, such as the SOAR fund.
Jacob: All of the professors are passionate about teaching and strive to help their students succeed.
