Whitman Internship Grant Summer 2011

Supported by the Parents Internship Fund, the Kanemori Internship Fund, and the David Stevens Internship Endowment
Student Engagement Center

Abbye Neel Project Learning Tree Golden, Colorado

What I have learned from my internship: "I have learned more about how one structures curriculum in K-8th grade classrooms and how one can incorporate environmental education into all subjects. I learned so much about fire ecology and forest health through those lessons."

Julia Bowman People for Parks Los Angeles, California

What I have learned from my internship: "This summer I have appreciated the opportunity to see first hand how a non-profit is run. I attended meetings with my supervisor, took notes, and collected contact information. One of the many lessons I learned is how much work and collaboration it takes to write a grant application."

Alethea Buchal Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Walla Walla, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: "I always learn something about myself and how I can be more professional and still maintain my free spirit. I am learning the importance of attention to detail and efficiency and how to inspire various audience members to listen."

Aleah Jaeger Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) Eugene, Oregon

What I have learned from my internship: "Working at ELAW has proven to me the power and importance of community. I am learning about a different culture, its complicated history, and the controversy about drilling for oil in this part of the world."

Lauren Davis King Lab Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: "This internship is teaching me to analyze data, solve problems, and think critically. I am learning many important laboratory techniques such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Sanger Sequencing."

Tim Strother Steven Dona Architecture Kirkland, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have been given creative license to express my ideas within projects and then have a conversation with [my supervisor] about the parts of the project that work and the parts that are still design challenges.

Natalie Tamburello Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research

Palo Alto, California

What I have learned from my internship: Most days I am learning to analyze fMRI data using SPSS, MatLab, FSL, SPM, etc. I am learning to use a variety of computer programs to analyze behavioral and structural data (brain structure). I have also attended a number of presentations and talks given by well known scientists in brain research.

Phil Hofius Copper Canyon Press Port Townsend, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I talk with my supervisor every single day. I have close relationships with staff members in many aspects of the Press and have been given great introductions to many facets of the non-profit publishing world.

Libby Watkins City Club of Portland Portland, Oregon

What I have learned from my internship: I enjoy doing research on civics education because it is something I am passionate about and I feel like I am making a difference carrying out the mission of the Club. I have been able to hone my writing and editing skills through these projects, as well as my analytical and research skills.

Sam Freedman Laboratory of Dr. David Morris, University of Washington Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: My project is to take tissue samples from mice that may or may not have Fragile X (we are blind to that) and homogenize and isolate the ribosomes from the mice hippocampus. The best thing about my internship is the close relationships I have with members of my lab.

Suzanne Jaszczult Office of Congressman Earl Blumenauer Washington D.C.

What I have learned from my internship: I am responsible for responding to constituents who call or email the office with questions and concerns about a wide variety of political issues. I attend briefings on behalf of legislative staff and I have been learning the basics of drafting a legislative memo. I have also received training in congressional research methods and resources, which I have put to use in completing research projects for staff.

Amy Hasson Vernon Lab, Whitman College Walla Walla, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I am responsible for carrying out each step of the project I have been working on. The ultimate goal of my project is to insert an engineered version of the gene PIRL 9 into the plants so that it is expressed at abnormally high levels. This is a new project for the lab and it has been exciting to be involved with the beginning stages.

Alyssa Nevell Whitman College Psychology Department Walla Walla, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have learned how to interact with [experiment] participants in a way that makes them want to return for further studies, how to collect data from them in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the study, and how to analyze the results in a way that is beneficial to the academic community.

Carissa Wagner Mode Records New York, New York

What I have learned from my internship: Ive had a lot of amazing opportunities to accompany my supervisor to many mixing sessions, meet composers and performers, and see in-depth what it takes to make a record. Because of the small size of our record label, I actually feel like a valuable part of the team and have a lot of opportunities I wouldnt have otherwise.

Carrie Sloane Classical KING FM Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: The best thing about my internship has been the exposure to the Seattle classical music scene, especially because I am considering a career in music. Having this repository of names and information will be helpful when it comes time to figure out what Im going to be doing after grad school.

Chelsea Kern Illumination Arts Publishing Kirkland, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have been a part of each step of the process --editing the manuscripts, working with the artist to match the illustrations to the words, contacting marketing professionals for promotions opportunities, speaking with customers to introduce them to our upcoming books, writing promotional copy, and looking over the final proof before sending it off for printing.

Dandi Huang Benaroya Research Institute Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have become a lot more confident learning new lab protocols, and have also learned to grow my own cultures and make various agar plates and solutions for general laboratory use. On top of the wet lab work, I am also learning a lot of bioinformatics work like the BLAST search engines and what its results mean.

Erik Larson Project Minnesota, Len Minneapolis, Minnesota

What I have learned from my internship: This job has given me valuable professional skills. Using peace-building and cultural-humility theory to create concrete educational materials has been challenging but will serve me well when I need to perform similar tasks in the future.

Kelsey Kennedy Walla Walla Public Library Walla Walla, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: One of my main responsibilities is answering questions and helping patrons find books in the childrens section. Additionally, I have been doing outreach work in the community. I am working with the Library in the Parks program that reaches out to kids involved in UPlay (through the Citys Recreation program) and other organizations.

Claire Baron Friends of the Orphans Bellevue, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: The variety of work that I have done has been great exposure to both the complexities of operating and coordinating within an international non-profit organization and also to the breadth of services that Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos offers the children.

Kendra Klag Prof. Dan Vernon Whitman College Walla Walla, Washington
What I have learned from my internship: Because nothing in science goes the way you want the first time, I have been learning how to trouble shoot by examining each variable and making the according adjustments. Additionally, because all the experiments Ive been doing are sequential and build off of one another Ive been improving on my ability to plan ahead and organize so the timing is right.

Margaret Ross-Martin U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, D.C.

What I have learned from my internship: The best thing about my summer internship thus far is that Im given the responsibility and autonomy to engage in truly meaningful work, catching a glimpse into this rapidly expanding, fastpaced and exciting field of Internet policy.

Leonila Gariando Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: My internship is divided into two parts: learning how CISC raises funds for their annual budget and also working in the Centers different programs and with the Chinese clients. I also have the opportunity to work with the Sunshine Garden and AfterSchool program.

Robyn Metcalfe Ruth Dykeman Childrens Center Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: Both my training and practice have made me a lot better at identifying a potentially violent situation, understanding a child's limits, basic counseling, helping an escalated child calm down and talking with a child about a crisis that has already occurred. Every day is different and serves as an opportunity to learn more about how to effectively help these kids.

Laura Holford San Francisco City Impact San Francisco, California

What I have learned from my internship: I help keep the daily rhythms of the Rescue Mission running smoothly such as giving presentations, serving meals, delivering groceries, teaching classes, and playing music,. I am also getting the chance to work on special projects such as going on development trips, creating a training webinar, taking on the role of webmaster and teaching my coworkers how to update the website, and planning a one day outreach event with 800+ volunteers serving over 1000 meals.

Shannon Buckham Soundwatch Boater Education Program Friday Harbor, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have learned an immense amount about the natural history and biology of killer whales and all the projects and efforts that are taking place to project the endangered Southern Residents. I have learned about the dynamics of these projects, which are often highly political, especially in regard to vessel impacts on the whales. I have seen the effort that goes into protecting a species, and am learning how I can contribute to such research.

Will Witwer KUNC Public Radio Greeley, Colorado

What I have learned from my internship: The biggest of my responsibilities is also the most funI get to produce, write, and record my own radio stories for broadcast. I did all the interviews, arranged the logistics of getting the interviews, transcribed all the material, wrote three drafts (with editorial help from the News Director), recorded the voice over myself, and helped edit it for broadcast.

William Newman-Wise Painted Sage Farm Daniel, Wyoming

What I have learned from my internship: I have learned that I enjoy interacting with consumers at the markets, and have been thinking about going into further food production. I have essentially learned how to manage crops and animals, and I see this as part of my life in the future.

Allison Burns cinda b Fort Wayne, Indiana

What I have learned from my internship: I completed an in-depth Competitive Analysis for cinda b bags. In order to do this I sorted through all of the handbag, gym bag, and diaper bag retailers out there and pinpointed exactly which companies cinda b directly competes with. I am currently working on a report trying to find other companies who produce domestically, as well as their price ranges compared to cinda b, and their productivity.

Amelia von Wolffersdorff Undriving Seattle, Washington

What I have learned from my internship: I have had a variety of responsibilities this summer, most of which have focused on helping develop Undrivings marketing and communications strategies. I [worked] one-on-one with a board member on a marketing project to develop key messaging. Ive enjoyed this project and it has taught me a great deal about marketing, concise language, and conveying clear messages to various audiences through my writing.