Rama Ewing
Rama Ewing is a spring 2022 Intern preparing to graduate in fall 2022 with a MS degree in Environmental Sciences. She participated in the GIS Headquarters Resiliency Partnership Internship, under the faculty supervision of Dr. Jennifer Alford. Rama indicated that she learned critical skills through participating in the internship. They include technical report writing, negotiation with government agencies, conducting formal presentations, professional networking and teamwork. Rama plans to pursue her PhD and teach in a community college.
Rama’s advice to any student contemplating participating in an internship:
“It may sound like free labor (which is not in many cases), but it pays off greatly! You will be known for your work in the agencies you want to get involved with or work for in the future. You also learn how to practically use every aspect of what you learn in the classroom, and you have your supervisor to correct you and help you grow. These activities will shine in your resume, and you won't be treated as a complete "entry level' employee which is huge when it comes to getting hired and negotiating for your future salary. I have had two internships and one of them was an unpaid internship. A lot of students do not like the idea, but I was happy to do that because I knew it would shine in my resume. I have not graduated yet, but I have seen how different it is to have "related work experience" and not having it.”