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My name is Spencer Sakuma, and I am a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, majoring in global environmental science. I am also a EPP/MSI Scholar, class of 2022, and I have a few pieces of advice to future scholars:
Spencer Sakuma, a 2022 EPP/MSI undergraduate scholar. (Image credit: Amara Davis)
Make a timeline of things to do each week and day, and identify monthly goals.
Making daily or weekly to-do lists and knowing your monthly goals helps you know you’re on track with your internship goals. I definitely felt overwhelmed at the start of my summer internship, and making a timeline of “things to do by this date” definitely helped me. It gives a better “visual” of things you need to do, without feeling as overwhelmed.
Make friends with others!
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your organization or cohort. Not only does this help with networking, but you make friends from all over the country. Also, summer internships are a lot more fun with friends!
Practice good time management and timekeeping skills.
Time management during your internship is important because there are so many tasks, events, deadlines, and meetings that need to be done by a certain time. In addition to this, if you’re in an unfamiliar state, it’s fun to walk around and explore the city. Practicing good time management allows you to have fun while also being effective at your internship.
Spencer is a 2022 EPP/MSI undergraduate scholar majoring in global environmental science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her 2023 summer internship with the National Sea Grant College Program was titled "Increasing engagement for careers in aquaculture."
