An Unexpected Internship

        As I began to look for internships for spring quarter in Washington D.C., I was not sure where to start.  I had begun my search too late to try and secure a position with a Congressman and I knew little of other opportunities Washington had to offer.  Through postings I found and contacts provided by Mike McCandlish, I got in touch with several foreign policy and political think tanks.  Not having much luck pursuing those options, I stumbled across a Smithsonian website showing numerous internship opportunities available on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Scrolling through the page down to my area of interest, security and safety, I found a position at the National Museum of Natural History.  The opportunity was too good to pass up.

        Even after finding and securing an internship, I was unsure about what responsibilities I may have and what projects I would be working on throughout the quarter.  I had no reason to worry.  This quarter I cross-referenced chemicals being stored and used by the Smithsonian against databases of Material Safety Data Sheets for those materials, I have shadowed and assisted my supervisor with the inspection of the museum’s storage of off-display collections, and I have been able to create presentations concerning workplace safety and adherence to federal regulations.  Helping with the inspection was especially interesting as i was able to wander the dozens of warehouses containing collections of cultural artifacts, old museum displays, and many rooms filled with animal specimens.  My favorite object was a preserved frog that, as you can see, was about the size of a small child.

 

       Overall, I am very pleased with the opportunities I have had this quarter with the Smithsonian and consider myself fortunate to have found such an engaging experience.  While I had not pictured myself in this position even days before the program started, I am glad I took a chance on this internship.    

- Eric Nash