My Internship
The Workplace
Through this internship I was able to gain a new perspective about the field of research
My time with the Hulvershorn lab taught me much about the real world experience of research and the norms in an academic setting. I was able to grow not only my experience, but my network by collaborating and connecting with my supervisors, primary investigator, and others within my lab and lab group. Overall this experience has made me more well rounded and prepared to engage in graduate or professional work after graduation.
Through this internship I was able to gain a new perspective about the field of research as I navigated my way through my lab and gained new experiences and met professionals. When I initially joined the lab, I thought that I would be much less involved than I was. I played a very active role in the research of my lab and was able to undertake activities that had a real impact on my lab's work. My previous internships have been much less hands-on, so I was appreciative to have direct roles such as patient contact and data cleaning. These active roles have been very engaging and informative, helping me to feel like more of a professional while growing the skills necessary for research.
As I began my time at the Hulvershorn lab I set goals for improving my interpersonal communication in professional settings. Through in-person interactions and electronic communication, I sought to be perceived by my colleagues and peers as a competent professional as well as a personable colleague. The virtual nature of my lab made this goal a necessity to function well, with many of my colleagues working semi-digitally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By communicating effectively over email and Zoom, through the use of professional grammar, tone, and etiquette, I feel I was able to reach this goal and leave a legacy of professionalism and esteem.
I found myself volunteering to assist with any projects the lab undertook to play my part in the process
The Hulvershorn lab had a very supportive culture that had a goal oriented viewpoint and focused on supporting lab members to achieve the overall goal of the labs, despite the virtual interactions. There was never a question that wasn’t important enough for an answer and oftentimes the others at my lab would go above and beyond to aid me in finding a solution for any challenge I encountered. Regardless of whether questions were asked in-person or via email, I never felt intimidated reaching out.
Whenever the lab faced a challenge people were proactive and worked together to find a solution and ensure that the problem was resolved. I engaged in this practice as well and found myself volunteering to assist with any projects the lab undertook to play my part in the process. Due to this environment of support and teamwork, goals and deadlines were easily met and challenges were faced and resolved effectively.