The semester is off to a quick start here at Conn, but we’re taking some time to look back at our fun, exciting, and hectic summers. Our Her Campus members worked a variety of jobs, looking to gain real world experience as we get closer to graduation. Here are some of the adventures we had this summer:
This summer, I returned to my old aquatics club and coached the girls and boys high school water polo teams! I was lucky to see some returning players I coached last summer and many new faces who were excited to develop their skills and compete with the team. Coaching another season of water polo reinvigorated my love for the sport and reminded me how much I love passing on my knowledge and experience to younger players. One of our summer highlights was going to an open water tournament where we camped on the beach with the team and played games in a lake!
I was also fortunate enough to have an internship (funded through our wonderful Conn Career Center!) and worked virtually for Matchlighters Scholars. This program gives free resources and college essay tutoring with counselors to high-achieving low income and first generation students. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the counselor and business side of the college application process and how to support Matchlighters students into their first year of higher education!
- Maria Sell ‘23
This summer, I worked as the Youth Education Programs Intern at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! The experience was an absolute dream. I mean, I went to work every day surrounded by beautifully cultivated flowers, spectacular nature sites, and handcrafted giant trolls (you seriously need to check them out). I gained experience designing lessons and activities for young students about the natural environment and learned a whole lot about plants and insects in the process. Additionally, I was able to kickstart the organization’s climate change education initiatives by designing an interactive “Discovery Cart” focused on carbon emissions and their harmful effects on Maine’s ecosystems. I made so many new friends, and I feel truly lucky to have had such a wonderful summer.
- Lara Beckius ‘24
This summer, I was an intern for a healthcare non-profit organization and was also a hostess at a high-end restaurant with two of my high school best friends! Through the internship, I got to live the classic cubicle and water cooler lifestyle, while also gaining valuable experience and administrative assets. I got to see the behind the scenes of hospital administration and meet a lot of healthcare workers that are burdened by the overbearing stress of their daily lives. I saw people’s mindsets revolutionized by the non-profits’ mindfulness practices and retreats, and learned that I greatly value working with people in the healthcare setting. Essentially, the non-profit’s goal is to care for the health care workers: something that every medical staff greatly needs. On the other hand, my hostessing job gave me friends in unexpected places, and the capacity to seat a party of ten during dinner rush hour. It was a summer of busy schedules, morning commutes, customer service, and the occasional pool day. As we enter pumpkin spice season, I am hesitant to leave behind my summer memories and ever-fading tan, but look forward to what is ahead.
- Meredith Harper ‘24
I spent this past summer working at a summer camp run through the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA. It was an eight-week day camp for kids ages 6-11. We spent the day playing games, making crafts (especially friendship bracelets), and walking around the zoo. Every day we as a camp got to meet and learn about one of the zoo’s ambassador animals (those are the animals they bring out to show people). Some of the popular ones were Tribble and Nermel the Chinchillas, Maisie the Iguana, and Cheeseburger the frog. We were also able to go behind the scenes of one of the bigger animals once a week. The kids (and counselors of course) got to get up close to Anala the tiger, feed tapirs and red pandas, and more. I got to make lesson plans and games for the kids, and was in charge of both a group of 10 kids and a junior counselor, so it definitely helped me grow in my sense of responsibility. I made some new friends, both human and animal, and got to do quite a few things I had never done before.
- Maggie Hayes ‘24