Past Internships

Mayagüez

SLIDES-PR

Teddy Parkinson (Middlebury College)

The two most important accomplishments to me from the experience were the skills I developed in the ArcGIS program and the experiences I had working in the field with my team.

During this semester, I worked on an ArcGIS project every week. I had taken a GIS class last semester, but only had experience with QGIS and ArcGIS Pro, similar programs, but with some different details. Throughout the academic semester, I learned how to use ArcGIS (or ArcMap) to generate maps of the geology of the watersheds upstream of each point where we went to collect data in the field. My final project put all the data together with the maps, creating a single document with the important information about each watershed.

Through field work, I learned how to collect hydrological and geological data in isolated areas. At each point, we collected data on water chemistry (pH and alkalinity), discharge and flow velocity, sediment size, Schmidt hammer measurements, and sediment and water samples. In addition to giving me scientific experience, the trips we took were an opportunity to get to know the center of the island. I loved exploring the forest and rivers, particularly with a team of fun and capable colleagues.

But besides that, my internship with SLIDES-PR was my first time working in a scientific team conducting real geology research. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and work with other geologists and I am proud of the work we accomplished in these last months.

San Juan

El CEPI (Centro para las Experiencias Profesionales e Internacionales), Universidad del Sagrado Corazón

Nick Paneto (Middlebury College)

No more than a two-minute walk from my dormitory, I interned at the center for professional and international experiences of La Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, where I participated in both career and internationalization advising sessions. Although I shadowed this department while it was undergoing unprecedented position transitions, I was able to experience firsthand the magnitude of the entire department as work study and internship positions were allocated to students on a first-come first-serve basis, as well as appropriate study-abroad program advice distributed to those who took initiative on their country of interest. In my case, I participated in the publication and promotion of the international student population to humanize their experiences here in Puerto Rico, through a reflective presentation of their profile and a “day in the life vlog” in their name distributed by the Instagram and Facebook of @Sagradointernacional. In addition, I helped share international content on my private page, contributed to international posters and events, and absorbed the wealth of knowledge provided to complete my daily journals and research related to my accumulated experience at the university.  

Colección de las Artes y Música, Bibiloteca Lázaro, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

Bryan Guevara (Middlebury College)

There have been countless opportunities during my experience here where I have been able to gain valuable skills that I will be able to use when I return to Middlebury and in the real world. I think the main things that I have been able to gain during my time here are more confidence, better communication skills, and better time management. That being said, I think I have gained a lot of confidence overall because I have had to express myself, listen to others, and write in a language that is not what I usually use in my daily academic and professional life. Now that I have the ability to communicate clearly in another language, I think it will only help me to do my best in the future, whether in an academic or professional setting.

Also, for the most part…almost everything I do here is done as part of a larger whole. Whether it’s taking inventory, conserving works, preparing for an exhibition, or just working on the Collection. Everything is done as a group, so communication between members is essential. Through this experience here I have been able to communicate more clearly to myself and my thoughts, which will surely come in handy wherever life takes me.

Time management has been essential during my time here and the skills I have learned will continue to guide me later in life. Time constraints for projects, jobs and exhibitions have led me to be more productive, work more efficiently and let go of distractions. Everything I have learned here at the Collection will surely be useful to me when I leave the island and will continue to empower me throughout my academic and professional life.

Concentración Menor Mujer y Género, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

Liv Drazen (Wesleyan University)

The most significant achievements of this experience were the promotional work I completed, the conversations I engaged with amongst the team, and the support I offered with administrative tasks….Alexandra helped me with all of the doubts, questions and uncertainties that arose throughout the semester. I learned the most during our conversations. The conversations I had with Alexandra and Sole taught me a lot about the colonial legacies in Puerto Rico, the obstacles that IUPI faces, the lack of resources offered by the government in terms of education and the importance of discourse on gender issues in the country. The dialog we had throughout the internship helped me to better understand Puerto Rico’s particular issues and context along with providing me knowledge as to how best to take on the role of an ally in working towards a more equitable future for the island. I will take my knowledge to the states and continue to share what I have learned to forge spaces of support and visibility.

In academic terms, my project with Mabel was an extremely stimulating and exciting process. Through the brainstorming and conversational phases of planning, I learned so much from Mabel and was able to find ways to incorporate all of the themes I had hoped to explore in my paper. Reflecting upon the finished product, Mabel and I discussed problematics of theorization, academia and the violence it reproduces in taking subjects and realities as objects of study. We touched upon ideas that I hope to work through and understand better throughout my experience as a learner and future academic. 

PRAFRO, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

Paradise Phoenix (Middlebury College)

Through my internship I was introduced into the community and study of Afro Latinx studies in Puerto Rico. I was introduced to scholars around the world who wrote and created art about being Afrolatino, as well as Afrolatino history, theory, and community organizing. I was able to meet and learn from Afrolatino scholars from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Colombia, New York, and Puerto Rico. Working alongside students who were studying the same as me and always engaged in the program inspired me to be not only more proactive with my studies but also inspired me to continuously seek out ways I can be more engaged in spaces back on Middlebury’s campus. I also got to learn more about the development of the Afrolatino studies department here at UPR Rio Piedras, and how it has grown to become what it is today, a department that offers more than 10 courses and an internship program. What fascinated me about the department was that it was heavily student-led and directed. I also had the opportunity to be part of the beginning stages of the formation of a digital archive of antiracist community based organizations here in Puerto Rico, relying on the vast networks of communities, movements, and connections that I have had the privilege of learning about to create this digital archive. Throughout the program I got insight into the collaborative and community based nature of the work of the office of Afrolatino studies. I had the opportunity to work alongside community leaders and organizers.

I now feel confident, when I return to my own communities, that I can implement everything that I’ve learned from my academic supervisors to be a better scholar but also community member and leader. Personally, I would say that I had the opportunity to work on my communication - communication with professors, colleagues, and peers. Working with people that I had newly met taught me/reminded me how to establish personal and professional relationships. I have also learned how I handle challenges, because during this semester every day was a different challenge, whether it be small challenges or more difficult ones. I have learned how to navigate new spaces where I don’t know anyone, which I look forward to implementing as I navigate entering the workforce soon and as someone who is constantly seeking out new organizations and movements to be a part of.

El Puente PR: Enlace Latino de Acción Climática (ELAC)

Rwick Sarkar (Williams College) 

The assignments, with their relationship to climate education issues and community engagement, were an important part of my professional formation through the internship. In addition, during the semester, I have learned more about the environment, what I want to work on, and the support systems I would like to have near me. I have also been thinking about the question of, “what is a job good for?” I think for anyone with an interest in using their professional practice to “make a difference” or impact social change, you have to remember that a job doesn’t have to be the place where you make all the change you want in the world. What I am trying to articulate is that one of the most important things about my experience with El Puente was the simple fact of being around other people committed to climate justice. My work with El Puente gave me the opportunity to try to do some of the things and theories that I could only learn/read about in my classes (for example, I’m thinking about the task of designing - and then actually doing - a participatory process for the Labra School). Finally, the research part contributed to my academic training. Although I have done “research projects” for my classes before, I have never had to design the methodology and collect my own data. Or at least, not in such an independent way, and I think this experience gave me the confidence to do this type of research and analysis in the future.

Oficina de Planificación y Desarrollo Físico, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

Andrea López (Middlebury College)

This internship was closely tied to the courses I was taking this semester. My coursework this semester included a class on natural ventilation and another research course focused on energy conservation and natural ventilation as well. Similarly to the internship, it was focused on the renovation of another building on the UPRRP campus. There was a lot of information that I was able to relate to them and apply to the internship as I went learning. It also allowed me to practice using Autocad and other architectural software that would be useful. Applying it to real situations was very influential to my learning and are skills that I will be able to apply to my future coursework and beyond. 

A part of the internship also had to do with the building codes that the renovation of the building had to follow. I had always been interested in how they work and their differences since Puerto Rico has such a different climate from Middlebury and the East Coast in general, as well as the different architecture style. This part of the internship allowed me to grasp more specifically the types of regulations that come with buildings. For example, the means of egress and all the specifics that come along with it such as which direction the door swings, length of hallways, etc. This was instrumental to my learning because it will make me more considerate about those things when it comes to designing.  Additionally, preparing these presentations has benefited me professionally because it made me learn how to represent information in a way that is clear and understandable to the audience.

Instituto de Relaciones del Trabajo, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

Lissbeth Martínez (Wellesley College)

One of the most important achievements of this experience was learning about minimum wage laws. I didn’t know much about this topic before, but now I understand how these laws affect workers and the economy of Puerto Rico. This learning was important because it helped me see how laws impact people’s daily lives and the importance of making changes. 

The other important achievement was working as a team with students of Economics who are already in Graduate School.. At first, I was a little nervous because they have more experience, but I learned a lot from them. We met every week to discuss our findings, analyze data, and write ideas for the project. It was interesting to share ideas and learn from their perspectives. They helped me improve my research and work better as a team. These achievements are important because they helped me grow as a person and as a student. I learned to work with others and communicate my ideas better. I also understood the importance of research and proposing solutions to problems like the minimum wage. This experience gave me confidence and motivated me to continue learning about important topics to help my community in the future.

Overall, this experience gave me tools I can use in the future, both in my studies and in my career. I learned how to research, work with others, and be more organized, which will undoubtedly help me achieve my professional and academic goals.