The internship offered to work under Dr. Carlson studying Eastern box turtles was an amazing experience for me. It’s a fantastic entry level research position that is especially great for anyone considering conducting field research in the future. It offered the opportunity to learn how to use several different types of scientific instruments and taught me how to conduct an experiment over an extended period of time. Along with this, I came to a better understanding of the significance of data, record keeping, and the value of long-term data sets to the overall scientific community. This was all very important to me personally as I want to get into the field of herpetology, and being able to find an opportunity like this to experience the realities of field research has given me a headstart on the skills I will need to polish for future research positions or endeavors. Being able to tell a future employer, or a professor I am trying to intern under, that I’ve not only done the classwork but have had the hands-on practice will be an invaluable selling point as well. Along with the many lessons I took from this experience, I was able to make several fond memories and interact with a plethora of different kinds of wildlife. Some of my favorite memories must be the treks along a “beach” at the bottom of a gorge that ran along sugar creek, where we got to see several species of frogs, snakes, turtles and more while having rock skipping contests. I can’t forget the ice cream runs the other interns and I made to gobblers knob on the days Dr. Carlson couldn’t make it. I left this internship with new friendships, improved professional and communication skills, a better understanding of the field of work I intend on pursuing, and several lifelong memories. Thank you to Dr. Carlson for all the guidance, patience, and support offered through and after the internship and for such an amazing experience.
