Becca Buse '19

When: January 2019
Where: Silver Spring, MD
Major: International Studies

Follow along with Becca’s blog this January, where she will be interning in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Luther alumni Sara Goldberg and Humanity and Inclusion (HI). She will be working as an intern with HI by editing, writing, researching and collaborating with their staff. She is excited to travel again after spending last year abroad in Nottingham, England and will share her travels around the Washington D.C. area. Additionally, she will share information about her role as a Strengths Assistant in the Career Center at Luther College and how her Top 5 Strengths [Woo, Communication, Positivity, Input, Ideation] will help her in this new position for the month of January.

Madeleine Ross

When: January 2018
Where: Light of Hope School and Home for Girls, Naivasha, Kenya
Major: Social Work

Madeleine interned at a Children's Charitable Insitution in Naivasha, Kenya. She assisted with child intake at the Light of Hope School and Home for Girls (LOH). During January, she went into the community to assess homes with girls in need of schooling or a safe place to stay. The government, as well as individuals seeking help, referred these cases to LOH. Many of these girls had backgrounds of poverty, abuse, neglect, abandonment, hunger, or sexual assault. Madeleine collaborated with the social work staff at LOH to bring in three new girls. Her duties also included taking care of the girls while in the LOH dorms. She also created the first home assessment form for their social workers to use. Luther's education helped provide her with the wide range of tools she needed to complete these tasks. Madeleine felt fortunate to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Onward Mahachi

When: Summer 2017
Where: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Major: Applied Mathematics

Onward participated in the Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS) at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM). There he worked with a team of other undergraduate students from around the world. They executed projects sourced from businesses such as Google, LAPD, and Aerospace. Through this program, Onward learned how to write research reports, manage time effectively, give oral presentations, and work in teams. The program further developed Onward into a well-rounded mathematician as he learned the importance being able to articulate and explain mathematical concepts. As someone who is planning on pursuing Applied Mathematics at the graduate level, this internship solidified Onward’s aim to pursue studies of mathematics and its applications.

Alex Sekora 

When: Summer of 2017
Where: Iowa State Capitol Building, Des Moines, Iowa
Major: Management and Political Science

Alex began working as a communications intern in May of 2017 for the Iowa Senate Democratic Research staff. There he managed various Democratic senator’s Facebook pages and websites. He also recorded, edited, and produced videos for the senators’ social media. Included in his list of tasks was writing and editing press releases. Alex sharpened his writing skills, produced quality videos, and learned the importance of communications in the world of politics. He enjoyed the beautiful sights of the Iowa State Capitol and the chance to work with several state senators. Alex was able to gain firsthand knowledge and insight on politics. His experience and work at the capitol building helped Alex to reignite his passion and enjoyment of working in the political world.

Matthew Espey

When: Summer 2017
Where: Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Clinton, Iowa
Major: Theatre

Matthew has interned with the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre since high school. While interning, he performed in mainstage productions each summer. Another duty was working in the costume shop, scene shop, and box office. Matthew and other interns also attended workshops about acting, dancing, and singing which were led by professional performers. At the end of the season, the interns put on their own show showcasing what they learned.

Once Matthew began his studies at Luther, he was promoted to administrative and secretarial duties for the company. This allowed him to gain even more professional experience. Matthew loved having a voice in running the theatre. Even with these extra jobs, Matthew was still able to perform in the mainstage productions as an actor. These experiences and the connections he made were very rewarding. Matthew is most grateful for the influential and professional artists he met at the Showboat. After all, in theatre, connections mean everything.

Anna Ryden

When: Summer 2017
Where: The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, Roseville, MN
Major: Environmental Studies and Biology

Anna spent her summer interning at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (WRC). There, she assisted with the rehabilitation of animals and observed their development. She worked primarily in the mammal nursery, where she fed and cleaned the cages of baby mammals. Anna not only kept track of the needs of the different animals, she also spent time preparing the animals for their eventual release back into the wild. The internship taught her how to care for animals and monitor their development. The goal of the WRC to educate the community and protect the environment moved Anna. She loved watching the animals heal at the center, and this experience made her more interested in working with animals in the future.

Megan Gmitro

When: Summer 2017
Where: Isthmian Archaeological Museum, Corinth, Greece
Major: History

Megan interned at the Isthmian Archaeological Museum in Corinth, Greece. There, she cleaned, labeled, and bagged pottery sherds discovered at the Roman port of Kenchreai to be drawn, photographed, and cataloged by the museum. Megan also worked at the Cummer Tomb clearing away overgrown vegetation and dirt. Additionally, Megan worked at the remains of a Roman Basilica where she cleared more vegetation and unearthed tile and Mosaic flooring. This internship taught Megan how to handle, clean, and catalog artifacts. This experience also gave her an understanding of learning about the past based upon what others have left behind. The most rewarding part of her internship was being able to interact with history outside of a classroom setting. Megan was able to physically see where people used to live and interact and use what they left behind as a different approach to studying the past.

Haley Steffen

When: January 2017
Where: University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Majors: Biology and Dance

Haley spent the month of January shadowing ten different doctors in the Family Medicine, NICU, Orthopedics, Trauma, Digestive Disease Clinic, Obstetrics, Gynecology in the Labor and Delivery Unit of the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, as well as at Mercy Hospital.  She learned how to assess patients and was taught the SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) method for treating them. Haley’s favorite part of the month was helping deliver babies. These skills will help her throughout medical school and her residency. Since she is pre-med, this internship reinforced her passion for healthcare and helped her narrow her career path.

Jonah Gehrt

When: January 2017
Where: Olmsted Medical Center; Mayo Clinic; and Samaritan Bethany, Rochester, MN
Major: Neuroscience

Over January Term, Jonah Gehrt attended three internships in Rochester relating to his neuroscience major. He assisted physical therapists in treating patients at Samaritan Bethany. His time at Olmsted Medical Center included shadowing physicians and asking procedural questions. At Mayo Clinic, he got to work in a laboratory setting, sit in on lectures, and help create cell cultures. In each internship, Jonah applied material he learned from his courses to a more professional setting. He also experienced the work ethic required to succeed in his field of study.

The relationships he formed with patients at Samaritan Bethany were especially rewarding to him. They inspired him with their conversations. He loved forming relationships with people that went beyond everyday small talk. By talking with others, Jonah learned a lot about himself. He is excited to have similar opportunities to do so as he continues pursuing neuroscience.

Emily Schroeder

When: Summer 2016
Where: University of Newcastle - Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Newcastle, Australia
Majors: Exercise Physiology and Psychology

Over the summer, Emily traveled to the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. She worked as a research intern at their Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition. Her research projects targeted nutrition, weight loss programs and management, and physical therapy. Emily learned skills such as the logistics of conducting wellness research on human subjects. She was also taught how to perform exercise tests. Over the course of her internship, Emily loved working with a physiotherapist the most. She researched methods that increase limb functionality in patients who have suffered strokes. Her experiences helped solidify her plans to be a physical therapist in the future.

Brody Vogel

When: Summer 2016
Where: Project C.U.R.E., Denver, CO
Major: Statistics and Philosophy

Brody was the personal intern for Project C.U.R.E.’s head of IT and Data Management. He used his skills to improve the organization’s volunteer database with HTML. He developed a digital newsletter, cleaned up their Customer Relationship Management, and compile a monthly marketing analytics report. Going forward, Brody continues to produce a bi-monthly statistical analysis of Project C.U.R.E.'s requests for and shipments of medical supplies. He learned a lot about the small margins of non-profit organization works under. Brody gained a clear view of his hopes for the future and respect for people working in the non-profit industry.

Sthela Gun Holly Hanitrinirina

When: Summer 2016
Where: Lutheran Senior Life in Zelianople, PA
Major: Social Work

Sthela shadowed three social workers at Lutheran Senior Life in Zelianople, PA where she was taught how to conduct interviews and interact with residents. She also gave a presentation on Madagascar, her home country, and how to build relationships with her residents. Sthela has gained skills in verbal communication. Her passion for social working has only increased, and her understanding of the importance of human relationships has grown.

Sidney Larsen

When: Summer 2016
Where: Cabinet Dentaire SOS Dentiste in Lome, Togo
Major: French

Sidney spent her summer in Togo, interning as a dental assistant at the Cabinet Dentaire SOS Dentiste. Her duties involved general daily procedures such as teeth cleanings, and she even got to occasionally pull teeth and administer anesthesia. Throughout the process, Sidney learned the tools of the dental trade—including the French names for dental instruments, as much of her internship was in French! The experience was most rewarding when dentists began relying on her to assist them without instruction. Sidney now hopes to move to Togo upon graduation from dental school.

Jane Peña 

When: Summer 2016
Where: Playwrights’ Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Major: English

Jane spent this past summer working as an artistic intern for the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The nonprofit organization helps playwrights around the country develop new projects by hosting workshops, seminars, master classes, and providing other writing resources. Jane’s main duties included stage managing and researching playwriting opportunities for the Center to promote to its members. Through this experience, Jane gained experience in management and organization, as well as familiarity with the collaborative writing process. She felt that the opportunity to witness the creation of art and process of artistic discovery firsthand was especially rewarding. Jane enjoyed spending every day among people who are even more passionate about theatre than she is, and seeing new stories and ideas take shape. Working at the Playwrights’ Center helped Jane discover that there is an abundance of unique ways she could use her major beyond just teaching or writing, all of which would allow her to continue expressing her creativity and contributing to the world artistically.

Elizabeth Stay

When: Spring 2016
Where: Susan Davis International, Washington, D.C.
Major: Communication Studies

Elizabeth spent a semester at Susan Davis International in Washington, D.C. As a public relations intern, she helped draft press releases and brainstorm public relation plan ideas, among other tasks. To complete these tasks, Elizabeth found that many skills such as interpersonal communication and articulate writing were essential to her internship. Elizabeth was able to use the skills she learned in her classes at Luther to help her succeed. One of the most important skills she developed was how to accept and grow from her flaws. Despite the challenges she faced, Elizabeth was able to embrace and overcome them. Most rewarding to Elizabeth was how much she had grown over the course of the semester. This growth mindset is what she will continue to apply towards her career field.

Emily Alcock

 When: Summer 2016
Where: Border Angels, San Diego, CA
Majors: Spanish, International Studies 

For six weeks over the summer, Emily completed an internship as a community outreach coordinator for Border Angels in San Diego, California. She worked with Luther grad Marlon Henriquez ’15 to facilitate free immigration clinics and lead student groups to the US-Mexico border. Emily also started an initiative to donate leftover school lunches to refugee camps and provided water for migrants in desert areas. Her experience showed her firsthand what difficulties people experience as migrants in that region. Because of her internship in San Diego, Emily feels she has grown as a global citizen and has solidified her plans to become an immigration lawyer.

Miranda Joslin

When: Spring 2016 
Where: The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum 
Major: Art with minors in Spanish and Museum Studies

The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the immigrant story through their objects, traditions, and artwork. For her internship, Miranda worked with the museum’s Chief Curator to update the Fine Art Collection’s records and gain notoriety for the collection on a national level. Specifically, she worked with the Smithsonian Database of American Painting and Sculpture to get 452 new pieces from 96 different artists registered for public use and study. Not only was it exciting to get to work so closely with the collection pieces (both through their records and physically handling the works), but Miranda enjoyed helping the collection grow and bringing attention to the hidden treasures of this “small-town” museum. 

Evan Seegmiller

When: January 2016
Where: Evergreen Bank Group, Chicago, IL
Major: Management

Evan interned for the Evergreen Bank Group in Chicago, IL. The CFO directly assigned him projects that allowed him to work with employees from different areas of the bank. He learned how to manage his time as well as communicate with coworkers. Evan enjoyed the experience of working in a city as large as Chicago and enjoyed getting to know his coworkers, who became his good friends. During his time, he learned the importance of connections and having a team that works well together. Evan also realized this is the type of work environment he wants to be involved with in the future.

Marilyn Garcés

When: January 2016
Where: Handicap International, Silver Spring, MD
Major: Economics

During her internship at Handicap International, Marilyn focused on three main projects. In her first project, she created an email analysis report. She used analytics to determine what types of approaches helped raise the most donations. This project built on her economics skills, giving her the opportunity to apply course knowledge. Marilyn also handled messages sent from donors and supports of an Ebola emergency relief project in Sierra Leone. She was able to use her knowledge of several languages to translate messages sent from all over the world. The third project consisted of sending thank you letters to donors. Marilyn found this to be a vital aspect of communication with them. Donors continue supporting a cause when kept involved and up to date, and this is what she helped achieve. Through her experiences, Marilyn also learned a lot about the structure of non-governmental organizations. In the future, she wants to work to help reduce extreme poverty in developing countries. This plan includes working in a non-governmental organization that focuses on poverty reduction. She then hopes to attend graduate school and return home to Ecuador to work in the Ministry of Economic Development.

Rozlyn Paradis

When: January 2016
Where: Vine and Branches, Richfield, MN
Major: International Studies

During January, Rozlyn interned at a non-profit thrift store/clothing center called Vine and Branches, where families and individuals can be referred to from social workers, chemical dependency programs, the court system, and other locations, for a one-time appointment. There, each family member receives three outfits - one of them an outfit for interviewing. Daily, Rozlyn would sort donations, price items, arrange the store, input data into the computer system, and work one-on-one with the families and individuals. While doing so, Rozlyn learned how to run a non-profit organization by shadowing Heidi Johnson, manager of the organization. Through this internship, Rozlyn was able to break through language barriers when working with families that were refugees from Nepal, all while solidifying her plan to work in an international non-profit organization. Rozlyn learned that her voice matters even in environments that are brand new.

Kyla Grau

When: January 2016
Where: Le Grand Théâtre de Tours, Tours, France
Majors: Music and French

Kyla spent the month of January at Le Grand Théâtre de Tours, an opera house in France: the perfect setting for a music and French major. During this time, she was able to work with stage managers, technicians, and performers. Since she collaborated with so many people, Kyla found that communication skills were very important. She was surprised by how comfortable she became with French after hearing and speaking it all day. By the end of the internship, she felt confident in the language and was able to take the initiative necessary to be a successful employee. The most rewarding part of working at an opera house was opening night, when Kyla was given the best seat in the house and finally got to see her hard work and passions for French and music come to life.

Abigail Suhr

When: January 2016
Where: Yaro Dance Company, Urbandale, Iowa
Major: Dance with a Psychology minor

Abigail interned with a Yaro dance company, a professional dance company in Urbandale, Iowa. She wanted to learn how a company produces their shows and was glad that one of her duties involved attending board meetings. In these meetings, she learned about choosing dates, venues, and marketing techniques for a season of dance. She also assisted in dance rehearsal. That allowed her to compare Luther’s Movement Fundamentals courses to ballet. Other duties she had included costume upkeep, poster distribution, and being a stagehand during performance. The most rewarding part of her internship was when she saw her name in a program and knew she had done her part to earn it. Abigail’s internship taught her that she wants to be more confident in sharing her ideas because dance is a collaborative art form.

Tricia Serres

When: January 2016
Where: Debbie School, Mailman Center for Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, FL
Major: Biology

Tricia headed south for January term and volunteered at the Debbie School, an inclusive elementary school under the pediatric department at the University of Miami. Students at the Debbie school consist of those with physical and mental disabilities, who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as children without disabilities. A number of therapists work in this school, including physical therapists. Tricia observed the therapy methods and realized how different they were from outpatient orthopedic physical therapy. She saw how individualized the plans were for each student. Many of the students had some form of autism, Down’s syndrome, or cerebral palsy, yet each required an individualized treatment plan. She found the internship informative, and it showed her a different side to physical therapy.

Solveig Nelson

When: January 2016
Where: Humane Society of Northeast Iowa, Decorah, IA
Major: Management

The Humane Society of Northeast Iowa helps abused, neglected, abandoned, and unwanted companion animals in the five-county area of Northeast Iowa. They have numerous services including dog and cat rescue, fostering and adoption services, and humane education. Solveig worked on weekly projects as the fundraising intern. She implemented fundraisers in elementary schools and researched grants that the humane society could apply for. She learned a lot about independent work and time management, as she did all of the work on her own on campus. She volunteered at the shelter two days a week, which Solveig said was the most rewarding part of her internship because she knew that she helped someone other than herself that day. She was able to see how happy the people and the animals were when someone adopted them. The projects she worked on pertained to her management major because she learned a lot about researching and how non-profit companies are different than for-profit companies. This internship solidified Solveig’s interest in working in the non-profit field after she graduates.

Kristin Anderson

When: January 2016
Where: Inspire(d) Magazine, Decorah, IA
Major: Art

Kristin had the opportunity to intern with the local magazine, Inspire(d), as a graphic designer. Some of the tasks included copy editing blog posts, managing the web page, and developing her own graphics for blog posts. She also had a paper project to work on where she created a kaleidocycle with paper and designed a step-by-step ad on how to recreate it. This experience made Kristin realize that she enjoys the nitty gritty of design work. She also improved her visual communication skills because now she can't help but analyze and deconstruct images. Additionally, she learned a lot about self-management because she worked on campus and met up with her supervisor every few days. This gave her the knowledge of what it takes to own her own graphic design business some day. She was also inspired to start her own web page and submit her art to galleries.