On-the-Job Experience

 

Internships offer invaluable experiences, helping students become workforce ready.

 

By Micaela Myers 

 

Internships give students real-world experience, help them narrow down their areas of interest and offer a host of employment benefits upon graduation. For example, companies offer nearly three-quarters of their interns full-time jobs, and students who complete paid internships receive nearly twice as many jobs offers as well as higher first-year salaries, according to studies. The University of Wyoming understands the importance of internships and promotes opportunities for students from all majors. 

 

Digging Up History 

UW’s Archaeological Repository partners with the Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation to support two internships per semester.

“The Vore Buffalo Jump is located in the northeast corner of the state and is a natural sinkhole that Native Americans used to trap large numbers of bison over a period of approximately 250 years,” says Cassidee Thornhill, the collections manager for UW’s repository. “The student interns learn to identify, inventory, clean and rehouse the bison remains from the jump. Archaeological excavations of the site started in the 1970s and collected massive amounts of bison bone and other archaeological artifacts. Currently, the internship program is integral to bringing the collection up to modern curation standards — allowing for research, educational and cultural programs to occur while also providing interns with knowledge of two major technical skills essential to the field of archaeology: faunal analysis and artifact curation.”

Anthropology senior Anatoliy Zayarko completed an internship and stayed involved with the foundation for his senior thesis work.

“The site is very interesting, and I’ve learned quite a bit,” says Zayarko, who grew up in Cheyenne after immigrating from Kyrgyzstan.

 

“I learned how to identify different bone elements of the animal and about stone tools and the raw materials from which they’re made.”

When he learned the projectile points they were working with may have come from hundreds of miles away, it turned into his senior thesis project. Zayarko did fieldwork this summer with Wyoming State Archaeologist Spencer Pelton collecting materials for further study. 

A surprising takeaway Zayarko gained from the internship came from interacting with the public and creating social media posts for the foundation. 

“I think one of the most important skills I’ve learned is just how to talk to people and how to educate the general public about what archeology is like and what archeologists do,” he says. 

After graduation, Zayarko plans to work in cultural resource management before applying to graduate school, and he knows the internship will help him in his career and education. 

“The internship gave me the kind of experience all archeologists should have,” he says. “The Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation does really good work studying this history and making it more accessible.”

 

Recreation Meets Conservation 

This past summer, Kara Waskowiak — a junior from Gothenburg, Neb., studying outdoor recreation and tourism management and environment and natural resources — completed an internship through Friends of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Pinedale, Wyo.

“I think an internship like this was the best thing that I’ve done throughout my college experience,” Waskowiak says. “The internship cemented my decision that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I was also able to make many connections and have amazing experiences, and I feel like I’m just so much more knowledgeable.”

Friends of the Bridger-Teton stewards 3.4 million acres, balancing recreation, conservation and ranching. Its mission is based on three pillars — education, collaboration and action — and Waskowiak got to experience all three.

Smokey Bear’s birthday was a highlight for her. “We had a giant 20-foot inflatable Smokey Bear in Jackson Square, and we played Smokey Bear trivia with nearly 400 kids,” Waskowiak says. “That was super fun because everybody was able learn more about fire prevention. In Star Valley, we helped the volunteer trail crew. It was really inspiring to see that people who really care can have such an impact.”

The interns also set up tents at trailheads and farmers markets to educate the public on recreating responsibility. In the process, Waskowiak says she gained public speaking skills. 

“We spoke to people about how to put out their campfire safely, how to store food to minimize wildlife encounters and more,” she says. “We got to engage over 800 people throughout the summer. We were able to also interact with city councils, mayors and commissioners, so that was amazing.”

Waskowiak learned about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a successful nonprofit — a field she’s considering for her career. 

“I really loved working for a nonprofit,” she says. “I felt like there was a lot of passion and purpose behind what we were doing every day, and that’s something I would like to continue for my future as well. I also really enjoyed how they incorporated recreation with conservation efforts because I believe that if people are outdoors having great experiences they’re going to be more likely to want to protect those environments.”

Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Internship and Employment Coordinator Jordan Kobliska says: “We’re very fortunate at the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute to help support students build their career skills and explore opportunities in the outdoor recreation, tourism and hospitality fields. Internships, like those with Friends of the Bridger Teton, help students learn about the many opportunities to work in this state.”

 

To hear more about Kara Waskowiak’s internship, click here.

 

Agricultural Immersion 
The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics GrowinG Internship Program bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world agricultural careers. It pairs interns ages 18 and up with hands-on experiences on working farms and ranches across Wyoming. 

“This program isn’t just about ranch skills — it’s about life skills,” says co-Director John Hewlett. “It’s the living version of what we teach with tools like RightRisk — helping young people learn to make smart risk-savvy decisions when things don’t go as planned. At the same time, it’s about succession, connecting experienced producers who have a lifetime of knowledge with the next generation that has the energy and passion to carry that legacy forward.”

Since it was launched in 2022, the program has supported nearly 40 interns who have worked with range livestock, specialty crops, direct-to-consumer meats and agricultural services. Internships typically last 10 weeks, and interns receive a stipend. 

“We designed this program as a living laboratory, bridging the gap between economic theory in the classroom and the complex real-world decisions producers face every day,” says co-Director Benjamin Rashford. “From a policy perspective, it delivers a high return on investment — supporting local economies, fostering small business development and addressing the critical issue of agricultural succession. And the data is clear: By inspiring over two-thirds of our interns to pursue agricultural careers in Wyoming, the program is directly strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline and building long-term human capital.”

English and zoology senior Leigh Stockton of Burns, Wyo., completed two GrowinG internships — one in Sheridan and the second in Buffalo. 

“On both ranches, I got an in-depth and hands-on education on what it takes to run a successful cattle ranch in today’s age,” Stockton says. “I learned basic skills like how to ride on a hillside, move cattle, rope and shoe horses, build and tear down fence, vaccinate cattle and work a skid steer, but the most valuable lessons I learned were about community. The ranching world lives on helping a neighbor, on reaching out and giving someone else the hand you wish you got when you stood in their shoes. Both internships taught me the value of teamwork and the incredible connectedness of Wyoming.”

The connections he formed range from a handyman in Sheridan to the governor of Wyoming. What’s more, the internship made his career choice clear. 

“If I wasn’t a cowboy before, I’m set on being one now,” he says. “If you’re thinking you’ve got what it takes to be in the ranching world, give it a try. Any day you can swing a leg over a horse beats even an hour spent at a desk.”

 

A Summer with Cheetahs
Forrest Cole grew up in Wheatland, Wyo., and developed a passion for skiing and photographing action sports. This led him to study journalism with a photography focus at UW, graduating this past spring. During his final semester, Namibia’s Cheetah Conservation Fund founder visited campus, noting the organization’s need for a communications and media intern. The nonprofit focuses on cheetah conservation, education and research. 

Cole applied for a grant from WyoGlobal, and the rest is history. He spent the summer there, documenting the work in photos and video and learning about all aspects of the operation, which includes care of cheetahs, a livestock guarding dog program that helps local ranchers protect their livestock from cheetahs, and other conservation-related studies and efforts. 

“I tried to be that camera that tags along and shares with the world this important work,” Cole says. “Each intern picks a project, and I ended up doing a photo story on the scat detection dogs.”

These Belgian Malinois have been trained to sniff out cheetah and African wild dog scat. The scat is then studied in the center’s genetics lab to determine what group of animals it came from, what they’ve been eating and more.

“Cheetahs in the wild are in very isolated pockets with lowered genetic diversity, which makes them really susceptible to singular species threats,” Cole says. 

Over last 100 years, the world has lost 90 percent of the wild cheetah population. The lab’s work helps the nonprofit study population movement and health. 

Cole’s photos and videos were used for social media, donor outreach and more. He says that the internship completely changed his career direction. While Cole still plans to photograph action sports, he’s now also dedicated to conservation work and spent the winter back at the center. 

“It was amazing,” he says. “I’d never really stepped into conservation photography. It felt like there was a lot more meaning behind the work I was doing there, and it opened my eyes to the role that media can play in conservation efforts.”

 

Exploring the Energy Industry 
School of Energy Resources student Lars Quinlivan of Cheyenne secured an internship with the energy land service company Hoover & Stacy Inc. in his hometown over the summer, where he helped with title-related projects.

“I learned that being a landman and a professional overall requires a mindset that the learning is never over and that it is important to find where you can bring value,” says Quinlivan, who graduated this December with his degree in energy resource management and development with a concentration in professional land management. “By taking on an internship experience, I was able to find my strengths and weaknesses and get a real taste of what working in the energy industry was like. I think internships are important to students for determining how your skills align with your work and career goals.”

He also appreciated spending the summer at home near family, which enabled him to continue his volunteer work at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Quinlivan says that the internship helped him to gain experience and confidence as well as to determine his niche within the industry. This January, he will start a job as a landman for Uranium Energy Corp. in Casper, Wyo.

School of Energy Resources Academic Director Kami Danaei says internships are one of the most valuable experiences students can have: “Internships bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. While our curriculum builds a strong foundation, internships put that knowledge into context — showing students how concepts play out in actual projects and decisions.

 

They also help students explore different career paths, build professional networks and often open doors to full-time opportunities after graduation. Most importantly, internships give students the confidence and clarity they need to step into the energy industry prepared and ready to contribute from day one.”

 

New Fund Supports Humanities Internships

The new Pete and Lynne Simpson Student Enrichment Fund in the Humanities launched this past summer to support internship opportunities in the humanities for students in the UW College of Arts and Sciences. The fund can be used to cover travel costs, housing and internship stipends for internships that would otherwise be unpaid, and preference will be given to students who want to complete internships in Wyoming.

 

“Experiential learning needs to be at the heart of a world-class education in every discipline and can be transformative in the arts and humanities,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “This fund helps our students turn what they learn in the classroom into real-world experience, enhancing their success today and tomorrow. It’s a powerful way to support hands-on learning and to honor the Simpson family’s incredible legacy.”

The new fund was established through the generosity of donors who made gifts in honor of the prominent Simpson family, which includes the late U.S. Sen. Al Simpson, brother of Pete, and his wife, Ann.

“At this time, humanities programs have come under pressure from government funding cuts and deprioritization in curricula at all levels of formal education,” say the fund’s namesakes — Pete and Lynne Simpson of Cody. “It is gratifying to know that this fund will give Wyoming students opportunities to learn and experience the importance of the humanities and the arts in the development of the community and in human development itself.”

For more than 50 years, the Simpsons have been influential figures in the arts and humanities sector in Wyoming. Lynne earned a UW bachelor’s degree in humanities and fine arts, a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in education. She is a Governor’s Arts Award recipient, a former Wyoming 
Arts Council board member, 
a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and a UW Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. She has brought her passion and commitment to excellence in community theater to every Wyoming community she has lived in. 

Pete earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from UW. He is an author, former UW vice president for institutional advancement and a UW Alumni Association Medallion Service Award recipient. He also was a UW distinguished visiting professor of political science. He has served on the boards of several of the state’s premier cultural institutions, including the Wyoming Humanities Council, the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and UW’s American Heritage Center.