Photo Essay: Terriers on Their Summer Internships, Jobs

Megan Kwan (CFA'27)

Summer intern, Pao Arts Center

I worked at Pao Arts Center, a visionary collaboration between Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center and Bunker Hill Community College that started in 2017. Pao Arts Center represents the belief that investing in arts, culture, and creativity is vital to the health and well-being of individuals, families, and vibrant communities. Through its innovative approach, the center empowers creativity, connection, learning, and support.

I learned about the center through a local newsletter and found its work with Asian-American artists in the Boston community empowering. I knew I wanted to collaborate with them in any shape or form, so I reached out at last year's BU Fall Arts Fair to ask if they had any volunteer opportunities. Last fall, I spent weekends volunteering at their events and involving myself with the community and staff. From book releases to public art openings, I had every job under the sun! Eventually, I popped the big question: Do they take on interns? Unfortunately, the center would only accept interns who secured funding elsewhere. This is when I turned to Innovate@BU. As a student ambassador for BU's entrepreneurship center, I knew they had a program that not only funded nonprofit internships, but also allowed its students to work on their own social impact venture. It's called the Enlight Fellowship, and it provided me $10,000.

Working at the Pao Arts Center, I have never felt closer to my grandparents and culture. I could see the community that supported them and the place they called home. In addition, through the center, I've connected with dozens of creative professionals around Boston. Working at the center has given me a strong network of artists to pull from, allowing for conversation, advice, opportunity, and friendship.

Matteo Finnerty (CAS'27)

UROP research assistant, the Primack Lab at Boston University

I worked in the Primack Lab, led by Richard Primack, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of biology, and did fieldwork at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. This was my first paid research position. I gained valuable fieldwork and data collection experience at the arboretum, where my team and I were conducting a survey of pollinator activity. Throughout the research process, I improved upon valuable skills, including insect and plant identification, teamwork and communication, data analysis and R programming, and scientific writing. I also built lasting relationships with fellow BU undergraduates, as well as BU professors, professors and undergraduates from other universities, and other persons in the fields of ecology and biology.

Syeda Aqeel (CDS'25)

Sailing assistant, BU Sailing Pavilion

As a sailing assistant, I learned that life should be celebrated-and being by the water reminded me to slow down and appreciate the simple moments. I discovered how grounding it is to be part of a community built not on urgency, but on shared moments. In the process, I found confidence, clarity, and the kind of calm that stays with you long after the sails are down.

Will Chapman (COM'26)

Front desk attendant, Boston University Events & Conferences summer housing

Working for BU Events & Conferences this summer taught me the values of adaptability, attention to detail, and reliability in a dynamic environment. As the first point of contact for hundreds of guests each week, including international youth tours, as well as the Riverdance and Boston Ballet dance groups, I honed my customer service and problem-solving skills by professionally resolving inquiries and ensuring welcoming spaces. I was challenged to manage fast-paced check-ins, address concerns calmly, and maintain thorough records-and I've learned the importance of supporting others with patience and care. After the past two summers with Events & Conferences, I have a deep appreciation for clear communication and the impact of creating a positive community experience!

Emmanuelle Bogomolni (CAS'26)

Guest student, Mullineaux Benthic Ecology Lab, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

This summer, I had the opportunity to further my skills in scientific inquiry, microscopy, and data analysis through a hands-on research internship. I worked on a project analyzing macrofaunal communities in deep-sea inactive hydrothermal vents, which involved conducting sample sorting, organizing datasets, and performing quantitative analyses in R (coding language). This experience pushed me to think more critically as a scientist. Beyond just collecting data, I had to interpret patterns and draw evidence-based conclusions. I also gained a lot of confidence in my ability to work independently and with other researchers, which has made me feel more prepared for graduate-level research. As a guest student, I was essentially an intern. This was a paid internship, with housing shared among other college undergraduates in a cohort.

Fredisvindo Bebe III (Questrom'26)

Groundskeeper, Boston University Facilities Management & Operations

Working for BU during the summer has a lot of perks. For instance, it offers a chance to really take advantage of the city's culture. I think it's a real opportunity for people looking at living independently for the first time.

I found my position through Boston University's job posting website. The position offered free summer housing in South Campus. In exchange, I had to work 40-hour weeks for approximately 12 weeks. I received wages in addition to the free housing.

In past summers, I worked for my family's landscaping and contracting business, so when I was sorting through the openings on the BU job posting site, I found and applied for a job in a groundskeeping office support role. I got a reply back telling me they had already filled the role, but they told me they could take me on as a grounds worker in the field instead.

Being a groundskeeper meant I kept the grounds pretty. We cleaned up the litter along the sidewalks, planted the flower beds, trimmed trees and hedges, mowed the grass, and emptied the campus trash bins. It's mostly just nitty-gritty maintenance stuff. Occasionally, there were larger projects, like replacing trees or doing property cleanup at a University-owned building off campus.

Molly Rainis (CAS'27)

Camp counselor, aerial dance teacher, Camp Terrier, BU Fitness & Recreation Center

As a camp counselor at Camp Terrier, run by FitRec, I taught children's aerial classes. My other job was teaching mixed apparatus classes for adults at FitRec.

My job as a camp counselor taught me patience, perseverance, and the importance of flexibility. Working with kids is challenging, but it's also very fun and rewarding! My favorite part was seeing their dance and aerial routines come together at the end of each session, and seeing how excited they were to show their friends and family their routines. Working with adults, I had to adjust my teaching process. They picked up the mental steps more quickly than the kids, but often struggled more with the physical aspects of aerial.

I lived on campus this summer at StuVi II, so I was close to FitRec. The best part of being in Boston was the chance to visit the Boston Public Garden almost every weekend.

Moksh Jhawer (CAS'27)

Aquarist intern, New England Aquarium

As an aquarist at the New England Aquarium, my responsibilities were split broadly into two categories: animal husbandry and life-support maintenance. Animal husbandry includes tasks where you are more directly interacting with animals-e.g., preparing and providing feeds and enrichment. Life-support maintenance, on the other hand, involves everything done to sustain and operate the systems that maintain our habitats. The many tasks included checking/cleaning filtration and cooling systems; monitoring water quality parameters, like temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen; and cleaning tank substrate, surfaces, and work areas. My animal husbandry responsibilities went above and beyond what I had hoped for this opportunity. It was incredible spending so much time just observing and being close to the animals during my routine.

As a marine biology major, I enjoyed completing enrichment tasks with our giant Pacific octopus (Tako) the most. It felt like the culmination of everything I had learned (in both life-support maintenance and animal husbandry) to work with an animal that requires such specialized care. I could appreciate just how much work went into maintaining safe parameters and an enriching environment. I received a stipend to support my internship through BU's Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program.

Keesha Theodore (CGS'24, CAS'26)

Summer intern, programming department, Fresh Truck

I worked for Fresh Truck, a nonprofit that runs a mobile produce market that serves households who need it most. Fresh Truck has a relationship with their suppliers so they're able to sell their produce at 25 percent less than the grocery store, and they're a HIP vendor. My time was split between being at the markets, being in the office, and going to engagements to promote Fresh Truck.

This was an unpaid internship. I applied for and received funding from Boston University's Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program, which supports students who have unpaid internships at nonprofits. I learned a lot about customer relationship management, improved my networking skills, learned how businesses are affected by government regulations, and learned how to better use Excel. I've observed the differences between for-profit and nonprofit businesses. Out of this experience, I've gained a better understanding of how businesses can bring communities together. Personally, I think I've grown more confident in myself and my abilities.

Austin Bellis (CAS'26, CDS'26)

Farming and food security intern, Gaining Ground, Concord

Gaining Ground is a nonprofit farm dedicated to increasing access to fresh, organic produce by distributing that produce to food programs and low-income housing programs across eastern Massachusetts. Additionally, the farm practices regenerative farming, aiming to improve soil health and responsibly steward the land through our growing.

As an intern, I mostly worked with field crew. A typical day began with harvesting produce, then washing and distributing it. From there, we had tons of tasks related to farm and bed management to make sure we were always ready for the next planting or harvest. I also learned about the reasons behind our agricultural practices. It was great to just learn how a farm runs and see what work everyone was putting in. At the same time, I learned how to be a better leader and educator by helping the volunteer groups that regularly visited the farm. I got to work with some knowledgeable and passionate people, which I really appreciate.

My internship was not a paid one. Instead, I received funding through BU's Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program, which funds internships and jobs at nonprofits. The program has a few requirements to complete throughout the summer, including a midpoint check-in and an end of summer reflective essay. I improved my own growing knowledge, which, alongside more experience working in the food system, will allow me to bring more resources to the BU Community Gardens.

Delaney Jankanish (CFA'27)

Shop assistant, Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre

I spent the summer working for Boston University's Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre production shops (costumes, props, paint, lights, and sound).

As a theater arts major, working with each of the shops this summer has allowed me to continue diversifying my education in a way that is not possible during the regular school year. On top of further developing skills like prop crafts, I've been able to learn more about wiring and cable, rigging, and carpentry, as well as developing a closer working relationship with each of the shop managers. Moving forward in my degree, these skills can only serve to better me as the multifaceted artist I'm working to be. Though my concentration is in scenic design, a wide range of knowledge and a general understanding of the other design and production departments help to make me a better collaborator and creator within creative teams going forward.

Emma Sanchez (CAS'26)

UROP research in the Buston Marine Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory

Over the summer, I conducted an observational study to determine if clown anemonefish exhibit lunar cycles of reproduction in laboratory systems. In their natural habitat, these fish have regular lunar cycles of reproduction and breed in accordance to the moon phase. After six months of data collection, preliminary findings show that they exhibit the same lunar cycle of reproduction in labs, despite not being exposed to lunar light and tides influenced by the moon. This finding, in the absence of any obvious lunar cues, is remarkable, and raises questions about the extrinsic cues and internal biological clocks that might enable this behavior.

This research, conducted in the Buston Marine Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory, makes up my honors thesis. I will use the data I have collected through this research and the literature I have reviewed to write up and defend my thesis next spring. I am better prepared to create a scientific paper on my findings after conducting this research, which was supported by a stipend provided by Boston University's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).

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