This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
Name: Gwen SchankerÂ
Grade: Third yearÂ
Major: Journalism and Biology
Past Co-op: Corporate Communications Co-op at Vertex PharmaceuticalsÂ
Current Co-op Job Title: Science Writing Intern at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Communications DepartmentÂ
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What made you apply to this company?Â
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“I’m interested in a career in science journalism, and working on the communications team at WHOI puts me right at the center of an amazing community of marine scientists. I was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about oceanography and to apply my science writing skills in a different type of environment than my last co-op.”
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What does your typical day look like?Â
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“So far, each day has been slightly different. I attended a conference on aquaculture my very first day, conducted an interview with a postdoctoral student on Tuesday, and toured one of the larger science buildings last Friday. In general, my schedule is pretty flexible, so I have the chance to work on my various assignments throughout the day rather than during specific windows of time.”Â
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What do you hope to gain from these six months?Â
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“I hope to become more comfortable processing complex science, and to improve my writing and interviewing skills by interacting with other scientists and writers. I also plan to get better at thinking about stories visually – because the ocean is so visually stimulating, they do a lot of work with photography, video and infographics here, all of which I haven’t worked with much before.”Â