LINK Internship
Animas High School offers a unique program called LINK. LINK is when you go on a 3 week internship with a business in the path our you potensial career interests for the future. We spend 30 to 40 hours a week with mentors in the workplace. There are many options and a lot of freedom when choosing an internship. We have practically any field locally or globally that we can choose from to complete our internship with. For more information about this amazing program visit the link to the right.
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Where I Inturned
The link below is to the profile page of my mentor during my link internship Dr. Posewitz.
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LINK Internship Reflection
Coming into my link internship I had no idea of what I was going to do other than it was related to researching and growing algae. I later learned that the most applicable skills that I knew going into the internship were going to be most of what I had learned in chemistry class that year. It was really useful to know molar conversions and how to use them when given the molar mass of a substance. It was also really useful to have done so much prior research on the topic of microalgae when I was growing some of my own the previous year. When I got to the laboratory at Colorado School of Mines on the first day was a nearly clean slate and did not know how to use just about anything in the laboratory.
During the link, I learned so many new things about how to work in a biochemistry laboratory. I learned how to properly use a laminar flow hood antimicrobial cabinet, how to use a pipette, how to take optical density tests at 750 nm. I also developed my skills in converting moles and grams at specific concentrations in a solution to get my specific grams/liter in a solution while undergoing a dilution of that solution. This was probably the most useful skill I learned because I will be able to use it for any chemistry related classes and tasks in the future. I learned the many intricacies and uses of optical density scans. I learned how to extract and calculate dry weights of the algae to get my grams per liter of algae. These are just among some of the many skills I developed over the course of my internship and there were many other more minor skills and techniques which I learned in order to use many of the scientific equipment at the biochemistry laboratory.
During link internship, there were many challenges both at the internship and in living away from home more independently than I have probably ever been. I had to get the brakes replaced on my car and get my mountain bike wheel rim replaced also. From these small simple real-world experiences, I got a better understanding of the logistics of being an adult, scheduling and figuring out how to get from here to there. Besides the living logistics, I had several challenges and personal shortcomings I ran into at my internship while in the laboratory. Possibly one of the largest challenge during this internship was merely overcoming the steep initial learning curve at the laboratory. When I first got to the laboratory I found that I did not know how to properly use any of the scientific equipment. I worked hard, and read the instruction manuals to most of the equipment and eventually overcame the initial hectic scramble to function in the laboratory environment. For many unknowns in these initial stages, of my internship, I eventually learned that asking questions is quite useful and I just need to overcome my introverted nature. I was far behind in the academics at some of the calculating skills which the graduate students that were my colleges at the internship had learned already. Thanks to Dr. Posewitz he recommended dozens of articles and books to read to catch up on some of the more critical topics of the field. I spent the first week meticulously learning how to decipher the extremely complex scientific language that all of the books and scientific articles were written in. While at this internship I was told by the graduate students at the laboratory, it is incredibly valuable to know how to decipher this cryptic scientific language and if I learn how to read it well now that I will be much better off in college.
I think that it was extremely gracious and amazing that Dr. Posewitz accepted me at this internship. The biochemistry laboratory at Colorado School of Mines that I was able to complete my junior year internship with is one of the best in the country. Later reflecting upon my experience at the Colorado School of Mines with Dr. Posewitz, I realize just how amazing it was for me to get the chance to get this amazing experience to work amongst some of the best scientists in the country and see the cutting edge of algal research. I would highly recommend if you are a junior at Animas High School to contact Dr. Posewitz about doing your junior internship with him. I am constantly surprised about how all it takes is merely a little effort and initiative to rise above the rest, seize the moment, and find amazing intelligent people in this world.
This internship has been an incredible experience and has answered so many questions and opened so many more about where my life will lead me. This internship will be a long remembered experience to help me on my quest for the right college with a fitting culture and academic balance for me.
During the link, I learned so many new things about how to work in a biochemistry laboratory. I learned how to properly use a laminar flow hood antimicrobial cabinet, how to use a pipette, how to take optical density tests at 750 nm. I also developed my skills in converting moles and grams at specific concentrations in a solution to get my specific grams/liter in a solution while undergoing a dilution of that solution. This was probably the most useful skill I learned because I will be able to use it for any chemistry related classes and tasks in the future. I learned the many intricacies and uses of optical density scans. I learned how to extract and calculate dry weights of the algae to get my grams per liter of algae. These are just among some of the many skills I developed over the course of my internship and there were many other more minor skills and techniques which I learned in order to use many of the scientific equipment at the biochemistry laboratory.
During link internship, there were many challenges both at the internship and in living away from home more independently than I have probably ever been. I had to get the brakes replaced on my car and get my mountain bike wheel rim replaced also. From these small simple real-world experiences, I got a better understanding of the logistics of being an adult, scheduling and figuring out how to get from here to there. Besides the living logistics, I had several challenges and personal shortcomings I ran into at my internship while in the laboratory. Possibly one of the largest challenge during this internship was merely overcoming the steep initial learning curve at the laboratory. When I first got to the laboratory I found that I did not know how to properly use any of the scientific equipment. I worked hard, and read the instruction manuals to most of the equipment and eventually overcame the initial hectic scramble to function in the laboratory environment. For many unknowns in these initial stages, of my internship, I eventually learned that asking questions is quite useful and I just need to overcome my introverted nature. I was far behind in the academics at some of the calculating skills which the graduate students that were my colleges at the internship had learned already. Thanks to Dr. Posewitz he recommended dozens of articles and books to read to catch up on some of the more critical topics of the field. I spent the first week meticulously learning how to decipher the extremely complex scientific language that all of the books and scientific articles were written in. While at this internship I was told by the graduate students at the laboratory, it is incredibly valuable to know how to decipher this cryptic scientific language and if I learn how to read it well now that I will be much better off in college.
I think that it was extremely gracious and amazing that Dr. Posewitz accepted me at this internship. The biochemistry laboratory at Colorado School of Mines that I was able to complete my junior year internship with is one of the best in the country. Later reflecting upon my experience at the Colorado School of Mines with Dr. Posewitz, I realize just how amazing it was for me to get the chance to get this amazing experience to work amongst some of the best scientists in the country and see the cutting edge of algal research. I would highly recommend if you are a junior at Animas High School to contact Dr. Posewitz about doing your junior internship with him. I am constantly surprised about how all it takes is merely a little effort and initiative to rise above the rest, seize the moment, and find amazing intelligent people in this world.
This internship has been an incredible experience and has answered so many questions and opened so many more about where my life will lead me. This internship will be a long remembered experience to help me on my quest for the right college with a fitting culture and academic balance for me.