5. If you are earning credit for your internship, what types of assignments/projects are required by the College to earn credit?

For one college credit, I am required to complete 140 hours at my internship. This works out to about 10 hours a week. Additional requirements were determined through collaboration of my internship adviser and the on-site coordinator. These requirements include completing a daily journal of my experiences, what I like and don't like about the job, and new things that I am learning about the industry as a whole. I also have a plan of action with my on-site coordinator that outlines what types of tasks I will be completing as an intern. I meet with my internship adviser bi-weekly to make sure that I am on track and getting everything I want from the internship. I also meet daily with my on-site coordinator to discuss my plan of action and what I would like to be doing and learning. I have found that, to earn, credit, there are few set-in-stone rules that I must follow. Aside from the minimum hour requirement, my internship was able to be completely customized to fit my needs.   

6. What has been your most interesting assignment/task? What made it the most interesting?

The most interesting task that I completed at my internship was the blending of fragile food products. Some food products are designed in such a way that they are unable to be blended traditionally. For example, if you were to attempt to blend gummy worms, they would just get really sticky and you wouldn't be able to test them because they lose certain elements that are crucial for accurate results. So, the way around this is to place the item in the -80 degree freezer. The -80 degrees is in Celsius, which is -112 degrees Fahrenheit. After the product has been in the freezer for about 10 minutes they become very fragile. You then smash them with a hammer and put them into the blender to grind into a fine powder. This is very interesting, especially when the food product starts to reconstitute itself and become a bit slimy. It is also interesting because it teaches me a lot about different food products and their matrices.

7. How is your internship going? Are you enjoying the work that you are given? Are you encountering any difficulties?

My internship is going well. I have been learning a lot, especially because we recently absorbed another lab so we have acquired new instrumentation. I have been working closely with Kiara, who runs the instrumentation, to learn the new tests that we are offering at the lab. I have also been learning other traditional chemistry methods like ash, fat, and moisture. I have not had any real difficulties now that I have gotten into the swing of things.

8. What was the most difficult assignment/task/challenge that you were faced with? How did you deal with it? What did you learn from it?

The most difficult thing that I have done is learning the inside and out of one of the programs of one of our instruments. I was asked to determine how to export the raw data from the program so that we would still be able to access it if the program became corrupted. It was rough because the program crashed if I tried to print from the help screen. After a few days of working on it, I was able to figure it out. I then saved all of the raw data, starting from when we got the program through the current testing. I learned that the job isn't just doing chemistry, but you also have to apply your knowledge to other aspects of your work. You have to try your best to make everyone's life in the lab a little easier.   

9. What are your thoughts about your internship, now that it is over? What did you learn? What would you have done differently?

I really enjoyed my internship. For me, partaking in it made up my mind that this is what I want for a career. Fortunately, Silliker was able to offer me a job at the end, so this is what I get to do every day. One thing that I would do differently is make sure that my training binder was kept up to date. Silliker requires that I have a binder with all of my paperwork in it. When I first came into the intern position, they did not think that they would have a position open for me so I did not keep up with it. Now that I am hired, I have to go back through the system to find all of the paperwork that needs to be printed out. Even if they hadn't offered me a job, I would still have liked to keep it because it would have prepared me for what I will have to do when I got a job.  

10. What advice would you give to future interns? How did your internship benefit you? What tips/suggestions do you have for future Moravian interns?

My advice would be to be bold. To get my internship, I had to cold call places to see if they would take me. In the end, it got me the job. I am already getting paid - even with a month of school left - because I completed all of my hours and they really want me to stay. My other advice would be that you shouldn't be afraid to speak up. If you see something that could be fixed or improved, your boss will appreciate that you are voicing your opinion. It really shows them that you care about the position. This internship was such a great experience, and anyone who has the time to do one should.

1. Tell us about yourself. What is your major and class standing? Where is your internship located and how did you get it?

My name is Anna Whetstone. I am a current Senior Neuroscience major and Spanish minor. I completed a research internship this past summer at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY and had an amazing experience! I found this internship through the AAMC website where they listed internships by the state.