51Æ·²è

Experiential Education

Credit-bearing internships are helpful because they integrate your studies with what you are physically doing in the internship. They really help build upon the knowledge you get in class by showing you how to apply that knowledge in the field or show you how that knowledge is used in the career itself. 

I’ve loved my classes at 51Æ·²èand I wanted to get wanted some real-world experience as well in my chosen career field, to ensure that is what I wanted to do but to also build my resume. I interned at the Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine, in their aquarium department. 

I think this internship has provided me with invaluable experience in my chosen field, giving me more knowledge and therefore confidence in my abilities. I got experience from different disciplines that will be involved in my future career goals. I got the hands-on animal care and aquarium tank maintenance that I felt I was missing before this internship. 

I also got experience with program design because I was allowed to use my minor in Animal Behavior to work with a staff member to design Animal Behavior programming. 

My internship has helped me know for sure that I am on the right track of doing what I love.

Hands-on Learning

This internship has helped me apply the knowledge my 51Æ·²èclasses have given me outside of the classroom. I was able to compare my first-hand experience to things I learned in class 

My classes and labs, particularly those in my [Marine Biology] major and minor, gave me the conceptual knowledge to have a basic understanding of the animals I would be caring for, but to also share those facts with the kids. 

Many of my classes use native or local flora and fauna as examples, which was really beneficial because the Children’s Museum’s aquarium focuses on animals found in Maine waters. 

Classes outside of my major and minor helped me with the diversity and communication skills I would need to work in a setting where many people from different backgrounds would work with me or come in to visit.