Philadelphia Zoo internship proves ‘priceless experience’ for Randolph student

Sara Graul ’13 nurtured her love for animals during trips to The Philadelphia Zoo while she was growing up. So when she was given the opportunity to work there, it was too good to pass up.

This summer, Graul interned for the Philadelphia Zoo, the oldest chartered zoo in America. She ran educational stations where she taught zoo guests about conservation while also studying the animals and their habitats.

Sara Graul ’13 worked in education and research programs
in the Philadelphia Zoo this summer.

“This internship was a truly priceless experience that has affected me in a very powerful and positive way,” Graul said. “I have learned how challenging and rewarding it is to be on the front lines of educating people on matters of science and conservation.”

She applied for the position after Doug Shedd, a Randolph biology professor, gave her a list of websites where she could search for summer internships. “I knew that working at a zoo would give me a unique experience getting to work with animals and also closely working with people of all ages in education,” Graul said. “It also would expose me to the entire array of people that make a zoo function.”

She visited Randolph’s Experiential Learning Center for guidance in drafting her resume and application. Shedd provided a recommendation letter, and then Graul snagged the job after a phone interview.

Graul’s responsibilities included education and research. She helped run “exploration stations,” where visitors looked at artifacts and participated in games that taught lessons on conservation. One of the zoo’s major themes this summer was orangutan conservation, so many of her presentations focused on the importance of trees and the effects of palm oil plantations on orangutan habitats.

For the research portion of the internship, Graul was assigned to observe various animals and events to help with ongoing research projects. She also designed her own research, which investigated interactions between the zoo’s male and female rhinoceros hornbills, “Bob” and “Nancy.” She concluded that project with a research paper and three presentations to the public.

Graul said her college studies helped prepare her to get the most out of the internship. “The material that I’ve learned at Randolph allowed me to field questions that many others could not,” Graul said. “I was able to engage in thoughtful discussions with staff concerning important issues facing science today. I also had a solid foundation to start with, allowing me to really take advantage of the knowledge that was given to me at the zoo and also to be confident in teaching others the principles of biology and conservation.”

Lyric Opera internship provided great learning experience

Tierney Dickinson ’14 had thought about pursuing a career in arts administration, but she always wondered what the work would be like. This summer, she had the perfect opportunity to find out.

Dickinson interned at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, one of the most popular opera houses in the country. The Donald P. Baiocchi - Lyric Opera internship, which is funded by Amanda Clark Fox ’67 and her husband Matthew Fox, allowed her to participate in the day-to-day operations of an arts organization and see how the efforts of many people fit together.

“My internship was a great introduction to arts administration on the large scale,” Dickinson said.

She applied for the internship through Randolph’s Experiential Learning Center. She didn’t think she would be chosen, but soon after the interview,she was told to make plans for Chicago. “I couldn’t have been more pleased,” she said.

During the 10-week internship, Dickinson helped prepare for two of the Lyric Opera’s biggest fundraisers: Operathon, an all-day radio broadcast, and Fantasy of the Opera, a black-tie gala including a silent auction. She also helped with the administrative tasks of running two of the Opera’s neighborhood chapters and one of the boards in the nonprofit’s regulatory system.

“The people that I worked with were absolutely amazing and extremely supportive,” Dickinson said. “One of my favorite things about the intern program at Lyric was the effort that they put into teaching us how our work affected the big picture of what needed to get done for a successful season.”

Dickinson also joined other interns for weekly meetings with representatives from various departments, who taught them about tasks and responsibilities important in running an arts-centered nonprofit. “It was a great way to learn about how the company ran as a whole and about the different types of people and jobs that go into running a big company,” she said.

Preservation and restoration summer programs give student a peek into career possibilities

The past two summers have allowed Monica Varner ’14 to hold history in her hands—and to make sure future generations can do the same.

Varner has traveled twice to Italy to help restore Roman paintings and artifacts. This summer, she spent eight weeks working on conservation on a historic island off the Massachusetts coast. The hands-on experience with archeology and art history opened a new world for her, she said.

Monica Varner ’14, right, spent her summer working on restoration and conservation
projects in Italy and in Massachusetts through programs connected to Randolph.

“There are these fields which I had no idea existed before I came to Randolph,” said Varner, who is from Northern Virginia. “Art history usually consists of sitting in a class and looking at a PowerPoint presentation, but in these programs, I have been fixing art, sorting it, and putting it back together.”

In 2011, she participated in the inaugural Archeological Conservation Institute, a program that the Centro di Conservazione Archeologica (Center for Archaeological Conservation) and the renowned conservationist Roberto Nardi launched in collaboration with Randolph’s classics department. Varner and five other students helped sort through rubble in a Roman villa, relaying a floor mosaic and repairing a fresco painting.

This year, Varner and six other Randolph students participated in the program, continuing the restoration work. Varner took advantage of the College’s RISE program to help pay for the experience this year.

After returning to the United States, Varner traveled to Massachusetts for Preservation Institute: Nantucket. This program run by the University of Florida lets students assist in restoration and preservation projects in one of America’s oldest settlements. This year, Varner and Laura Shearer ’12, a recent Randolph graduate, participated in the institute. Varner’s involvement was funded through an internship provided by A.J. Land and Lynne Coppage Land ’60, who pay for a current Randolph student to attend the program each year.

The RISE program and the alumna-funded preservation internship let Varner pursue interests that might have escaped her otherwise. “I'm so grateful that we have an alumna that is willing to support that scholarship every year, allowing me to come, not worry about paying for it, and be able to learn,” she said.


In the first few weeks in Nantucket, Varner and other students listened to seminars by various scholars, who gave them insight into the activities and goals of professional archeologists and conservationists. Then, Varner was paired with another student for a research project in a historic home.

“Our main goal was to extensively catalog the 54 windows and exterior doors of the Boston-Higginbotham House, which is a 240-year-old home in the historically black area of Nantucket,” Varner said. She and her research partner drew each of the windows and doors, analyzed paint samples, and made recommendations for the home’s restoration and repair.

The Preservation Institute added to the knowledge and experience Varner had gained in Italy and helped her solidify thoughts about her future studies and career. She plans to pursue graduate studies in art history and conservation.

Internship in the Alaskan wilderness

Imagine taking care of a vast Alaskan wilderness for an entire summer. It is about the farthest you can get from a paper-pushing desk job, which makes it perfect for Nick Cornell ’14.

Cornell is participating in a summer internship program in Alaska’s Kachemak Bay State Park. His summer “office” consists of 400,000 acres of mountains, valleys, streams, and lakes. “I wanted to be outside,” said Cornell, a native of Front Royal, Virginia, who is majoring in environmental studies. “I didn’t want to be bored in an office.”

Two years ago, Cornell and his family vacationed in Alaska and visited numerous tourist attractions. That experience made him think about returning to take in more of the wilderness areas.

Cornell’s trail maintenance crew camps in the park for about 10 to 12 days at a time. They hike to various areas to remove trees from trails, cut weeds, and build bridges. Some parts of the park are only accessible by boat, so they spend some time on the water as well.

“This internship has definitely sparked my interest in working with a parks system in a state or at the national level,” he said. “It has taught me how much work you need to put in to make a state park accessible to the public.”

Working in an internship far from home was perfect  “It’s always good to try something, go somewhere, get out of your comfort zone, and explore the country,” Cornell said. “You never know what might spark your interest.”