Alma College

Research assistant

June - August 2018 • Alma, MI

What I liked

The hands on experience.

What I wish was different

Advice

Research opportunities like these help you figure out what you are and are not passionate in. I found I definitely do love hands-on field work but I don’t think I would want to do it on birds for the rest of my life.

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Grounds Caretaker

May - August 2019 • Alma, MI

What I liked

I liked that the hours were flexible and that the boss was always very helpful in making sure everything went smoothly.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Financial Services Intern

January 2016 - December 2017 • Alma, MI

What I liked

It was laid back and easy work

What I wish was different

It was boring

Advice

Have the intern do more to make it more relevant and less boring

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Biology Lab Researcher

August - October 2020 • Alma, MI

What I liked

Loved working with Dr. C.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Be on time.

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Biological research assistant

June - August 2019 • Alma, MI

What I liked

Working in the field collecting raw data, in the laboratory preforming experiments, and on the computer to process data for a number of different experiments was my favorite part of this summer job. I was able to get hands on with many different sides of herpetological science and continue working on two different studies which I had been lucky enough to assist with the previous summer and spring break. I enjoy the outdoors and wildlife so working with Ribbon, Garter, and Water snakes at the Alma College Ecological Center, as well as Lava Lizards the previous spring on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos were experiences I’ll never forget.

What I wish was different

Because both studies I assisted with are long-term and on-going, I have been unable to read the final professional papers concluding the research. This is typical of most morphological, movement, and growth studies.

Advice

Don’t be afraid to explore things outside of your comfort zone. I was an Integrated Physiology and Health Science student when I asked to help with a professor’s snake research two years ago. Little did I know it would lead to me changing my major, discovering my passion, and open the door to many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

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CORE Research Assistant

June - August 2023 • Alma, MI

What I liked

For college students in STEM, this is a really good balance of getting experience in your area of interest and making potentially important career connections. Weekly seminars with faculty and guest speakers provide a lot of insight about what academic and career pathways might work for you in the future.

What I wish was different

I would have liked upheld boundaries about when I was expected to work. Parts of the job as I was initially instructed to do them required staying or starting beyond the supposed 9am-5pm daily interval, with no additional pay.