Hi everyone-
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| Rocky Mountain National Park, June 2015 |
My name is Kim Tarvis, and I have the privilege of advising these six incredible students during their summer internships in our Animal Science department. Each student that graduates through our Bachelor of Technology degree must undertake a 12-credit internship during their upperclassmen time at SUNY Cobleskill. The internship requires the students to find an appropriate place of work for 600 hours during their internship period, and the student must complete learning objectives that both the student, advisor and internship manager can agree upon. These objectives are what the student wants to "take home," what they want to master during their time as an intern. Some professors require students to research topics and write papers, others require students create portfolios, but I wanted to dig deeper with my students and think outside the box.
Right now, there are millions of people looking for employment, and many in the field of Animal Science. What sets others apart? It really comes down to who you know, how hard you work, and what your drive is to complete your task. With this blog, I hope to highlight each of these students' work, their drive, and what sets them apart from all the others. Here's how it works: each student will be required to create three blogs, and two students will be highlighted each week during the summer with their thoughts, trials, tribulations and learning from their internship. Come join us on this journey through their internships, and subscribe to our blog on the right-hand side using your email address. Check out each student's profile, where they are interning, what Animal Science really is all about and who I am, all at the top of your screen!
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| My Genex truck that I had the pleasure of driving in WA & ID |
Now, for my thoughts to get this started. Internships are some of the most important experiences a student will have during their collegiate life. These work experiences help students to understand what they want, don't want and can improve upon in their field of interest. Well, Ms. Tarvis, have you ever had an internship? My answer is yes, I sure have! My internship at the completion of my B.S. from Kansas State University led me to Shawano, WI, as a Research Support Intern for Genex Cooperative, Inc. During my internship, I studied different thawing methods for straws of semen in locations through NY, MN, WI, IA, SD, ID and WA. When I was not traveling, I was working in the laboratory helping to freeze semen for our customers at Genex or training new individuals about our company, culture and knowledge. At the end of it all, I gave a presentation to the V.P.'s of Genex, and away I went to graduate school. Little did I know, they kept track of me, and when I was getting ready to finish my Master's, I was already hired at Genex as Operations Planning and Quality Control Manager in the Production Division. The love of teaching then led me to become a professor.
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| Friends made during my internship |
I loved that internship, and it made me seriously consider graduate school as a viable option for continuing my education. The networking was one of the most important aspects, and I made lifelong friends, amazing colleagues and connections that helped to get me to where I am today. That experience could not be traded for anything in this world. I hope that each one of these interns will come away with an experience that they can cherish for the rest of their lives. Even today, as I sit here and type this post, I can tell you that I am right now "on an internship," researching and learning oocyte and sperm freezing techniques for cattle ova, as well as learning in-vitro fertilization techniques to teach to our students at SUNY Cobleskill. The process of learning never stops, no matter how old you are, where you are going in life or what you want to accomplish. Always say yes to opportunities that arise, and take the internships while you can. You never know where it will take you!
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| Aspirating ovaries for ova and searching for oocytes, as seen through the microscope at Colorado State University |
Stay tuned for the more that's in store!
Our Blogging Best,
Kim Tarvis
