Harvard students from Collier reflect on their 2015 winter internships
HARVARD CLUB OF NAPLES
2015 WINTER COMMUNITY INTERNSHIP/FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Rebecca Lambert, Summer Internship Coordinator
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Nikki Kallenberg, class of 2018
Reflection Paper - January 2015
The Harvard Club of Naples granted me the incredible opportunity to work atthe Conservancy of Southwest Florida over a three-week period during Winter Break. During this time, I got to track a variety of animals’ progress by working withinjured animals hands-on. This internship allowed me to explore my interests, all while assisting animals on their journey to recovery.
For the majority of my three-week internship, I worked with gopher tortoises. Most of these tortoises suffered from severe spinal injuries from unfortunate encounters with cars, which prevented them from utilizing their back legs. Along with observing and following the progress of their hind legs, I got to prepare their diets, administer laser therapy to their cracked shells, apply healing solutions to wounds, and assist with physical therapy. Much of the physical therapy included the techniques of pinching the tortoise’s tail and massaging their shells andplastrons as encouragement for movement. I also learned how and why it is necessary to speed up a turtle’s metabolism before they are taken outside to graze on grass and weeds.
While most of my time was spent in the turtle room, I also had the chance to work with different species of birds and mammals. I got to hold raptors, hawks, and cormorants, while observing how the doctor injected medicine into specific areas of the bird’s body. I was asked to set up indoor and outdoor cages for pelicans, where I needed to secure perches and arrange branches in a way that would be most suitable for the pelican. In addition to handling birds, I stimulated a baby squirrel that had trouble passing urine.
The highlight of my internship, however, was when one of the staff members asked if I would be able to release a bunny into my community. It was incredible to see how excited all of the volunteers and interns were that their goal of releasing these injured animals back into their natural habitat had finally been reached. In conclusion, I had a wonderful experience working not only with the animals, but also with a group of people who are so passionate about what they do. Without the assistance of human beings, these injured animals would not survive in the wild, andI am grateful that the Harvard Club of Naples allowed me to contribute in any minor way to bettering these animals’ lives.
Mohammed Ahsan, class of 2017
Reflection Paper - January 2015
The foundation of psychiatry relies on a strong interpersonal relationship between the doctor and the patient. Therefore, I was very enthusiastic when I got the chance to intern at the David Lawrence Center for three weeks in the winter. At the David Lawrence Center, I shadowed Dr. Haltzman, an outpatient psychiatrist and through his mentorship I learned about the different kinds of mental illnesses, as well as how they are treated.
At the David Lawrence Center, I was exposed to patients dealing with all kinds of mental illness, but what was really fascinating was to see how many symptoms overlap between these diseases. Through the guidance of Dr. Haltzman, I soon learned that by carefully observing the subtle behaviors and gestures of the patients one could not only determine what was the diagnosis but one could also better understand the patient’s personality and therefore build a stronger relationship.
Due to directly talking with the patients and understanding their struggles, I felt that by the end of the internship I became a little more compassionate in my daily interactions with other people. I realized that everyone is going through some kind of hardship, and instead of immediately reacting when someone does anything unkind to you, you should instead make excuses for him or her.
In concluding, I found my time at the David Lawrence Center to be filled with invaluable experiences and I am truly grateful to the Harvard Club of Naples for allowing me to get a chance to work and shadow in a hospital setting. I would especially like to thank Dr. Lambert for taking the time to set up my internship at the David Lawrence Center. The experiences that I have accumulated over the past three weeks are priceless and I am truly grateful for the opportunity that was provided to me by the Harvard Club of Naples.
Christine Mansour, Class of 2015
Reflection Paper - January 2015