June 16, 2014

Intern Profile: Grace Shaw ’17

Meet Grace Shaw ’17, a biology major and intern at South Sound Critter Care. 

Grace Shaw ’17

Major: Biology
Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Can you tell us what you’re doing this summer? What are your basic
duties as an intern?

This summer I am interning with South Sound Critter Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Kent, Washington. My duties include almost everything and anything having to do with the day-to-day activities of the organization. I spend the majority of my time caring for injured or abandoned wildlife. These duties include everything from cleaning cages and weighing animals to administering medications and hand feeding the young. During the summer months, we most often receive and care for young raccoons, crows, baby song birds, squirrels, geese, barred owls, waterfowl, seabirds, opossums, cottontail rabbits, and the occasional fawn. 

How has Lewis & Clark supported you in the process of finding, securing, and funding your internship?

Lewis & Clark played a large role in funding my internship. Gas money for transportation to and from my workplace alone would have been too expensive for me to accept the unpaid position. Luckily, my transportation expenses are covered by the funding that Lewis & Clark provides.

How do you see this internship leading to a career in your chosen field and aiding in your overall career development?

This internship is providing me with valuable hands-on experience that can’t be replaced by textbook learning. I am amazed at how quickly and how much I have learned in my first two weeks at South Sound Critter Care and I expect to continue learning at this pace. There is no doubt that I will use this summer as a baseline for deciding what area of biology I want to go into. 

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your experience thus far?

I am learning a great deal about the variety of work environments out there and how to work well with different coworkers and supervisors. 

The Stephanie Fowler and Irving Levin Summer Internship Award was established by Stephanie Fowler MA ’97 and Irving Levin, generous donors committed to ensuring that Lewis & Clark students are able to have meaningful and enriching summer internship experiences. 

Career Development Biology Department