Ashley Roman
Ashley Roman is a spring 2022 Intern preparing to graduate in spring 2023 with a BS degree Environmental Studies and minor in GIS. She participated in an internship with The Friends of the Desert Mountains combating invasive tamarisk plants in the area with the use of GIS. This internship was under the faculty supervision of Dr. Jennifer Alford. Ashley plans to continue her education and obtain a master’s degree with a GIS related focus. Her goal is to work in climate change.
Ashley indicated that the critical skills learned through participating in the internship included: communication and coordination of work activities with different agencies to meet the needs of their projects; how to use various applications within GIS; and how to properly use data for the advantage of the project. Additionally, Ashley indicated she gained skills in creating presentations that encompass the work completed, and above all, she learned how to properly manage time to effectively meet deadlines.
The advice Ashley would provide to other students considering an internship:
“If you are a busy student with a full-time schedule in and outside of school like me, I would still 100% recommend doing the internship. While at first the workload may seem overwhelming, it will teach you how to manage your time to make room for all the things to be completed in a timely manner. It's important to remember that the stress and workload won't last forever! And at the same time, you'll be able to add yet more skill sets and experience to a resume that will land you the job of your dreams when you graduate! My advice to you all considering an internship is don't shy away from hard work. Persevere, work hard, and in the end, you will reap the benefits!”