NewsDrop-August-2024

FINANCE & ADMIN SERVICES

THE INTERN

By: EAA EOC Education Outreach Staff

EXPERIENCE This summer has provided me with count less opportunities to learn new skills as well as refine ones already in my professional “tool box.” I have had the privilege of teaching members of our community and visitors from other parts of the globe about how the EAA manages, enhances, and protects the quality of the groundwater within the Edwards Aqui fer. Working at the EOC has been above all educationally enriching - from learning about land management practices utilizing native plants and grass to overcoming a fear of birds that has now grown into appreciation from afar. I will always be grateful to EAA for this internship and to the various staff members who have offered their mentorship, expertise, and kindness.

My EAA internship has been a transformative experience that is shaping my understanding of technology and environmental stewardship… and apply my academic knowledge in a prac tical setting, collaborate with dedicated IT professionals, and make a difference in my career. CURRENT EAA INTERN, PEDRO CARVALHO , IS IN OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TEAM AND STATES:

As a government agency, the EAA exists to serve the region and, through our mission and programs, we serve as a community partner. Our internship program is a partnership with the region we serve.

- ASHLEY AGUILAR, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PhD STUDENT AT UTSA

I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to intern here at the Edwards Aquifer Authority. This experience has strengthened my stewardship for this vital resource, that has sustained life in this region for thousands of years, and my awareness of the methods the EAA uses to manage, enhance and protect the aquifer.

FOR OVER A DECADE n ow, the EAA has maintained internship programs that offer opportunities to students to work in areas that align with their fields of study and for them to gain hands-on experience as they work along with EAA staff who have expert knowl edge in their areas of responsibility.

- NAYELI ESQUILIN, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY BACHELOR’S OF SCIENCE IN JOURNALISM

In addition to our traditional internship program, the EAA is partnering with various colleges and universities under the Community Federal Work Study Program (CFWS). The CFWS provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with work that is related to the student’s course of study for them to learn new career-re lated skills. For the past several years, the EAA has placed work-study students with various departments in areas that align with their inter ests for them to gain hands-on experience work ing with our professional staff who can serve as mentors to these students.

The EAA partners with the City of San Antonio’s Ambassador Summer Internship Program and the Family Service Association of San Antonio. The Ambassador Summer Internship Program recruits talented college students from across the country who will be home in San Antonio for the sum mer. The Ambassador Program strategically con nects students with internship opportunities that align with their interests and areas of expertise to encourage students to consider San Antonio as a place to live and work after they graduate. Students are placed with governmental and non profit agencies, such as the EAA, in an effort to attract San Antonio’s graduating professionals to career opportunities within the local commu nity. We also host interns that are participating in

the Youth Summer Internship Program, hosted by Family Service Association of San Antonio. This program is for San Antonio youth ages 14-17 and seeks to place these interns in professional job settings to expose them to job environments they may not otherwise experience during their high school years. Our internships serve to enhance and build a pool of talent from which we can recruit. But even more our interns gain experience in professional settings, work side-by-side with professional scientists and administrators. But even more importantly, our interns gain a sense of confidence they take with them into the job market.

The EAA internship program provides a traditional college internship for students to gain hands-on experience working with our professional staff to expose students to potential careers in the science and regulatory fields. Therefore, as science informs our conservation, regulatory, and legislative initiatives, developing a stable pool of talent to draw from ensures the continuity of the EAA’s mission.

The internship programs that are offered at the EAA fall under the following categories: • EAA Internship Program 2 high school positions available only in the summer for specific high schools. • Community Federal Work-Study Program We currently have agreements with Alamo Community Colleges, Trinity University, and UTSA. • Family Service’s Youth Summer Internship Program (high school students) • City of San Antonio Ambassador Summer Internship Program

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