Being selected for an internship or fellowship is a career milestone for many students and recent graduates, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword.

Ideally, these programs are a chance to battle test skills honed in academia in a real-world setting. They’re opportunities to build out a portfolio, to network and to determine whether your education adequately prepared you for your desired role.

In reality, for many interns and fellows, these programs ultimately end up being little more than a chance to take coffee orders and keep a seat warm. You might not even get paid for the privilege.

Not so at the Aquarium, where a robust offering of fellowships affords science- and conservation-minded students and grads the chance to work alongside experts in a variety of departments.

In this episode, we close out the second season of the show by chatting with the first-ever Jim Hill marketing and communications fellow about his experiences this summer and how his work alongside our team benefitted us as much as it did him.

To learn more about ongoing fellowship and externship opportunities at the Aquarium, visit https://tnaqua.org/get-involved/fellowship-opportunities/

Episode Cast

• Casey Phillips, host, senior communications specialist
• Efrain Iglesias, Jim Hill marketing fellow
• Mara-Lynne Payne, director of inclusion, equity and diversity
• Shannon Colbert, marketing projects manager
• Natali Rodgers, director of learning and evaluations