Name: Tatiana Perez
Class Year: 2023
Major: Environmental Studies
Hometown: Durham, Conn.
Internship Organization: Mystic Aquarium
Job Title: Education Department Intern
Location: Mystic, Conn.
Award: Alumnae/i Regional Scholars
What’s happening at your internship?
This summer I am working in the education department at Mystic Aquarium assisting in running the summer camps as well as engaging in conservation work with other departments in the aquarium. Thus far, I have been able to attend several conservation activities, such as bird population counts and horseshoe crab walks, as well as see the adolescent beluga whales get fed up close. I also am able to go behind the scenes in the aquarium to get an up-close look at the work done in other departments and learn more about the animals they work with.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because it intersected perfectly with two of my fields of interest: both educational and environmental work. I wanted the ability to work closely with naturalists and gain exposure to marine wildlife while still maintaining a humanistic lens, which made the education department perfect. Additionally, I enjoy working with kids and the excitement it brings to my job every day.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
I have had several favorite parts about this internship, but the highlights have been being able to observe and engage with conservation work up close. The aquarium recently received five new adolescent beluga whales, and I was able to go behind the scenes of the exhibit and watch them get fed up close which was an amazing experience. I also have been able to attend a population counting walk looking for oystercatchers and plovers (two types of birds) up at Bluff Point in Groton, Conn., which I also loved. On that walk, we were fortunate enough to see multiple baby plovers and oystercatchers, and their populations were up since the last count!
Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?
Adjectives: Engaging, rewarding, enjoyable.
Nouns: Children, marine life, conservation.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.