Mikaela Skelley is a wildlife and conservation biology major from Andover, Massachusetts. She recently completed an internship at the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable on Cape Cod and received a stipend from COLSA’s SOAR Fund to support her experience.
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.
Mikaela Skelley: I interned at Cape Wildlife Center located in Barnstable, MA. I assisted in taking care of the wildlife that were injured or orphaned so that they could be released back into the wild.
My responsibilities ranged from cleaning enclosures, preparing diets for the animals, administering medication, tube feeding babies and assisting with surgical procedures.
Mikaela: I liked that it was local to me so that I could still be at home and commute to work. I’m also very interested in and passionate about animal care and rehabilitation, so I knew I wanted to try working at a rehab center.
Mikaela: I am most proud of the fact that I am making a real difference on the local wildlife populations in Cape Cod. Whenever we would release an animal, I felt very proud and accomplished knowing that I played a major role in keeping the animal safe and healthy until it was ready to go back to the wild.
Mikaela: I learned many valuable skills at my internship, including the proper handling of wildlife and how to administer medications orally and subcutaneously, and I got better at identifying local wildlife species.
Mikaela: The SOAR fund grant made this internship possible for me.
Mikaela: I strongly recommend visiting the St. Martin Career Exploration Office. They are very helpful with creating excellent resumes, and they are willing to assist you in finding a position that works best for you. I also recommend keeping your options open and applying for positions that you’re not 100% sure that you will love, because the experience might end up surprising you, and it’s very beneficial to have multiple unique skills in your repertoire.
Mikaela: I love how helpful and willing to connect that the faculty at UNH are.
