Keomba's favorite part of the internship

My favorite part has been working with all the animals. Being around animals has changed my way of thinking. I'm around them so much that I even use animal metaphors to describe myself (for example, I'm like a snake, I shed so I can grow - lame, I know). Also just hanging out with my friends during break time. We laugh so hard I barely finish my lunch.

But my most favorite part has to be when I went to see the sea turtle hospital and Dora and Diego's Adventure. That 4-D movie was THE BOMB!! I can honestly say I got really excited when I saw all the bubbles and the water was spraying me. I totally felt like a kid again. Well, that's all I have to say - me gotsa get ready for duh family night! Make way for the McNeelys! :)

-Keomba

Jessica's favorite part of the internship

I loved everything so far. If I really had to choose my favorite part of the internship, it would be handling the animals and working behind the touch tank. So far, my favorite animals are the snakes - I really like Rosie [Colombian red tailed boa] and Monty [ball python]. I love talking to guests about the animals and educating them on important facts about different animals.

The touch tank is a great experience for guests and staff to encounter because you get to touch and pick up animals. My favorite part about the touch tank is feeding the animals and giving the horseshoe crabs and stingrays shrimp, smelt and other food they enjoy that is prepared for them. They are always happy and excited when it is time to eat.

I also enjoy working with my fellow interns and my wonderful supervisors, Kate and Kathy. I will truly miss the internship when it is over :(

-Jessica

Rebecca's favorite part of the internship

My favorite part of the internship was the animal programs and how I could help teach people about reptiles. I love taking out Ron and the reaction I get when everyone sees him. When I take out alligator #3 (my favorite one of all) and how everyone just wants to pet him or her, it is a really cool feeling to know that I helped people learn something new everyday. I really enjoyed other parts of the internship but this was the best of them all.

-Rebecca

Quinandria's favorite part of the internship

So I know favorite typically means one. HOWEVER, I have more than one favorite part about the internship.

#1 Encounters with little kids - they're the best because everything amazes them and nine times out of ten, they're more brave than their parents.

#2 Handling the animals (snakes, gators) - so in the words of Nijeeah "Just another ole' day of wrangling gators and what not." But ever since one of the gators flippled out on me and blessed my arm with a little of his urine, I'm more hesitant. But I'm working my nerves back up because they're awesome. The snakes are the coolest, especially Monty (my husband) and Orville (my part-time husband). They're really chill and calm.

#3 Working with an awesome group! - I love all of the interns, we will be at each other's necks sometimes but it's all love! My favorite parts with them are making fun of each other, even though Shantell's jokes be stale! Shout outs to my rap buddy "K Wizzle" for helping make that rap!

I love it here! :)

-Quinandria

Helena's favorite part of the internship

There has been so many awesome aspects of working at the Aquarium that I can't think of my favorite part. I wonder if favorite parts will work. I don't want to write out a long, drawn out blog so this is going to be short and sweet (probably because the evil baby sea turtles were stubborn today). Anyways, back to my favorite parts. I absolutely just love working at the Aquarium. Not many teenagers can say that they have/had an awesome job like this one. I love working with the other interns, who are just crazy as me, and Kathy and Kate. Another awesome part of working here is that I feel good knowing that I'm educating the public about marine life. I'm going to miss conversing with people from all over the country and world, the animals here, the interns and other employees, and the sheer awesomeness of the Aquarium and all the crazy moments I had in this building. Oh snap! I almost forgot about the coffee cakes down at the Sea Turtle Cafe. I think I'm an addict. Hehehehehe......

-Helena

Nijeeah's favorite part of the internship

At this point, I think I've mentioned my favorite part in every single blog. Yep, you've guessed correctly. My favorite part has been overcoming my now depleted fear of snakes. Yes, it is true, I have grown to love handling these vivacious yet misunderstood reptiles, but truth be told I'm still terrified. I think my love of the snakes may have something to do with my desire to feel my body bursting with adrenaline. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am "100% real" (that's what my future tattoo will read).

My favorite snake is Ron Burgundy because he's all man. I admit, he is a bit scary. Perhaps a bit is an understatement. The best part with working with him is when he is on your neck and then proceeds to rest his head next to yours, sticking out his devilish, black tongue just to smell the fear of his potential victim (sarcasm intended). But once again the fact that this "terrifying" Colombian red-tailed boa is my favorite, says a little something about my desire to live on the edge. "You've got to risk it to get the biscuit"

-Nijeeah

Shantell's favorite part of the internship

My favorite part of the internship has well, been the entire thing. But the one that stands out extremely well is the day "Big Girl" (our big female stingray in the touch tank) flew. I distinctly remember this adventurous Saturday mid-morning. We had touch tank duty (Quinandria and I). The morning was surprisingly busy. All of a sudden, I hear commotion (I was on the other side and didn't see the stingray actually jump out of the water). I heard screams and Quinandria ran to me and said, "The stingray jumped out of the water!" I couldn't believe that until I saw and heard the stingray flapping around on the floor. Unable to process this, I told Quinandria to call Ms. Kathy while I watched the stingray slowly stop flapping. Then a "Fred" (read The Fred Factor by Sanborn to understand) offered to pick up the stingray. I said, "If you want to, go for it but I wouldn't suggest it." The guy picked up the stingray and put her in the water. I slapped him a wet high five because he'd saved the day. Everyone in the "audience" cheered and called him a hero. I personally was just glad the stingray was safe.

-Shantell

Samia's favorite part of the internship

I love everything about the internship! It's hard to make a decision on my favorite thing to do. From the people and children to handling the animals - it's all just wonderful. The visitors have had a huge impact on my experience here. It's great to leave knowing that I've taught the guests new things about the wildlife of South Carolina.

By dealing with the different animals, I've become even more patient. I look from the animal's perspective: "Wh-wh-what is that? No, get away from me! Aaaah, the huge hand is going to get me!" When getting an animal, I make sure that I'm calm before taking them on the floor. I've noticed that if I'm jumpy even for a second, the animals squirm.

I've had numerous interesting experiences here. When at the touch tank with Maisa, I saw a piece of shrimp in the filter. After picking it up, Maisa took a closer look and says, "Uh, that's poop.". After an internal moment of disgust, I put it down and got sanitizer. Looking back, it was pretty funny.

I'm definitely going to miss my internship here.

-Samia

Maisa's favorite part of the internship

Oh gosh Ms. Kathy, I can honestly say that this question is kind of tough. It's almost as if you're asking me what's my favorite part of chocolate cake. Tough, right? As much as I love everything about the Aquarium, I do like handling the animals in the touch tank a little more than others. Everything in there is just so lovable, especially since they can easily be touched. I have even had some funny/interesting experiences at the touch tank (some involving Samia - I'll have to talk about that later). It's also funny seeing little ones practically take baths in there as they try to reach over to touch the stingrays (poor guys). But for the most part, I love everything just about the same!

-Maisa

Friends and Family Night

So last night, we had our annual High School Intern Friends and Family Night. This an evening in which all the high school interns can invite guests to come to the Aquarium after hours and they can show off what they have been doing all summer.

The evening kicked off at 6:30pm with a meet and greet by the Great Ocean Tank in which we introduced each intern and recognized them for all their hard work this summer. It has been a lot of fun but the interns have also been invaluable to us during the busy summer time, educating our visitors and providing great customer service. There was food and drinks and interns took their families around to the exhibits, the touch tank, the trading post and the cart programs. They also had time to show off their animal skills by taking out the baby alligators and the snakes.

We also had a special guest for the evening - Jack Mitchell from AT&T. AT&T provided funding this year for the High School Intern Program and helped make these opportunities and experiences possible for our students. Thank you Jack and AT&T for your support of the Aquarium and the High School Intern Program!!! It was a great evening and a wonderful chance to meet the families of our interns. I hope everyone had fun!

-Kathy

What Rebecca will miss

Having the internship be haf over is sad :( I'm going to miss everyone. The things I'm going to miss the most are talking to gray haired Kate, holding the animals and helping educate visitors. I've made some good friends during this internship. Doing bird rounds with Helena was fun and when we did the bug cart together (LOL). I had fun joking with Keomba and teaching Maisa that when you hold a shell to your ear you're not really hearing the ocean. And Kathy, I'm going to miss you always telling me to talk quietly and then laughing at me. And yes, I am a continuing conversation holder. Oh and one more thing, Monty is not as cute as everyone says. Ron is 10 times better looking and way cooler than any other snake.

-Rebecca

What Helena will miss

NOOOOOOOOOOOO. Why does time go by so fast when you're having fun? It feels like I just started this internship and not it's going to be over soon. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...I don't want it to be over. Give me a couple of years and maybe then it can be over. There's so many things I'm going to miss when the internship is over that I can't list them all on this sheet or make Kathy type it up. But I shall try to include all the interns and moments I've had at the Aquarium.

I'm going to miss being flippered to death by evil sea turtles when sunning them with Samia and Maisa. I'm going to miss the crazy lunch convos with Keomba and Shantell that become awkwardly silent when Kathy walks in. Adventuring through the Mountain Forest (which is really fun by the way) and brooming a turkey with Rebecca and her freaking-out-edness (completely made up word). I'm not going to miss the wretched smell of the the half-eaten, half-baked food in the Saltmarsh. Ooops this is supposed to be what I'm going to miss soooooo....I'm back on track now. I'm going to miss Nijeeah's reactions to smaller snakes (poor Orville). Quinandria and her awesome personality. I haven't worked with Jessica but I mentioned her in this blog...like just now.....actually a few seconds agao. I'm going to Kate's (and Shelley's) bright smiles and extremely (and I mean extremely chipper attitudes). And Kathy's question that is always directed at me...."where are you supposed to be?". My answer is always, "I have two minutes." Ok so I'm almost done Kathy, just one last thing. What I'm going to miss the most is...........COFFEEE CAKE from the the Sea Turtle Cafe. I think I'm going to go and eat one now.....

-Helena

P.S. Oops, I almost forgot Kieontay. I'm going to miss our Friday briefings and her making me laugh so hard that I cry all because she asks "Does anyone hear that loud sounds?"

What Quinandria will miss

I'm sad that the internship is almost over but then again, I'm gld that I had the opportunity to be a high school intern. Once the internship is over, I will miss the welcoming staff at the Aquarium but mostly, I'll miss the guests. I love that feeling of satisfaction when I can teach a guest something they didn't know or giving them a chance to encounter animals they'd never seen before. Overall, I love interning here and seeing kids FREAK out over EVERYTHING! :)

-Quinandria

What Samia will miss

Where has the time gone?! My first four - well, three (because of a week-long program at USC) - weeks went by in a blur! It's really disappointing that this program is only eight weeks long! I know that I'm going to miss the Aquarium and its staff and volunteers. I'm really going to miss the animal program the most. I can find and deal with snakes in a peoples' homes, but I probably won't get the chance to deal with baby gators again for a few years. My internship has been a wonderful experience so far. Hopefully I'll be able to come back and volunteer!

-Samia

What Kieontay will miss

The internship is half over and I kinda feel like the half empty cup. Yes, I'm sad that I'm almost done but I'm also grateful for the time I have left. There are so many smiles to make, so many days to brighten and so many minds to intrigue to mope about it being over. Althought there is so much to miss, I'm really going to miss my girls (interns) the most. Each one of us brought something unique to the experience that cannot be duplicated. Keomba brought an amazing soft touch; Nijeeah brought her undoubtedly priceless fear factor moments; Rebecca brought her endless conversation; Helena brought her spunk and great sense of humor; Quinandria brought her heart warming smile; Jessica brought her knee-slapping "jokes"; Shantell brought her tiredless need for perfection; Maisa brought endurance and a compassion bearing friendship; Samia brought her brain and a need to learn. Last but not least, I like to think I brought the party!

-Kieontay

What Nijeeah will miss

Wow, I guess the saying "Time flies by when you're having fun" holds true. I can't believe it's almost over. It feels like I'm just now getting in the zone. I really don't want the internship to end. When it is over, I will probably miss Ron Burgundy [Colombian red-tailed boa] the most (Monty is probably jealous). I feel like we have truly created a bond now, much like the polar covalent bond of the water molecule H2O. I will also missing the feeling of fear and overthinking before grabbing gators out of the big bin (only numbers 1 and 4 of course). Aside from the fun animal programs, I will miss the great stories I hear from visitors. If you know what I'm talking about, you're probably grinning, nodding in agreement and thinking "they're classic". But hands down the thing I will miss the most is all of my fellow coworkers, the volunteers, the other high school intern and of course Kathy and Kate. Everyone has been so nice and helpful. I will seriously miss the Aquarium.

-Nijeeah

What Jessica will miss

It makes me feel sad :( I'm going to miss all of the new friends I made and I'm going to miss coming to the Aquarium everyday working with the animals and the wonderful staff here at the Aquarium. When the program is over, I will be very proud and happy that I got the chance to be a part of this program. I would like to thank my supervisors Kate and Kathy for giving me the opportunity to work at the Aquarium and for also teaching me everything I know. You both trained me well, I will miss you both. I will also miss teaching visitors and guests about everything here at the Aquarium. I can proudly say the internship has been a great experience for me!

-Jessica

What Shantell will miss

Missing the internship is going to be very depressing. I can't bear to separate from this AWESOME place. The animals, the staff, the atmosphere.....sigh. I'm gonna miss this place. I am truly going to miss Orville, George, Louis, Monty, Inky (in a way), the baby box turtles, and the alligators. The Aquarium left a lasting impression on me. I will miss this place dearly. Ugh, I don't wanna leave! Keomba, Helena, Samia, Jessica, Nijeeah, Kieontay, Rebecca, Maisa and Quinandria all help make this placed filled with memories. Ms Kate and Ms Kathy (and the animals) all did their part in making this place AWESOME!! Where did the time go?! I'm still learning new things. I'm...having....the best...time EVER! This indeed has been an awesome first job. And when you think it's good, it gets even better. I'm seriously thinking about taking up college volunteering just for the love I've attained for the SC Aquarium. Sigh, I really don't wanna go.....

-Shantell

P.S. Time flies when you're having fun

What Keomba will miss

Sigh, it's going by WAY too fast :( I cannot believe it's almost over. It makes me want to go back and fail junior year so that I can do the whole process over (wait, that's a lie - junior year was way too boring!). Anyways, you get the point. I have bonded with so many people and I have so many memories, like the time Rebecca put germex in my eye (which she claims was an accident) or all the interesting characters and awkward moments during break (you interns know what I'm talking about, LOL).

Anyways, I'm so sentimental that I can go on forever but I won't! I will really miss everyone here who always put a smile on my face even if they did it unknowingly. And I gotta give a shout out to my dawgs - Babe (alligator 1), Monty the ball python, the sea turtle costume (that thing has a mind of its own) and all the interns who be trippin' with me.

Even though the internship is almost over, I still plan on partying - oops, I mean working - very hard until I'm forced to give back my work things (which Kathy and Kate will have to pry out of my hands, LOL, I kid!) :)

-Keomba

What Maisa will miss

It's really sad to realize that this internship will be coming to an end soon. I have really enjoyed my time here and plan to make the most of the days to come. There is so much I will miss once this internship ends. I will definitely miss interacting with all my co-workers and guests. Kathy and Kate have been terrific mentors and I will surely miss their guidance and support. I'll miss all of the fascinating creatures we have here, especialy our cute little sea turtles! Nevertheless, I plan to always come back for visits and volunteering opportunities.

-Maisa

The summer is going by so fast!

It is hard to believe but the high school interns are now halfway through their summer internship! Four weeks have just flown by!

I have been really proud of the girls and how well they work together and independently. They are always up for helping out and trying new things, even things that may have scared them in the past (like holding a snake - shout out to Nijeeah!). They are great with visitors and they are just having fun while they are here. As Maisa told me, she can't believe she gets paid to have fun :)
And it has definitely been appreciated how they have been helping with husbandry duties - from cleaning cages to making shrimp cups to changing water for alligators, the girls have a been a big help and the animals really appreciate it! (Even if they can't tell us). And if you read their blogs, they have some fun stories to share.

So GREAT job to Maisa, Samia, Shantell, Kieontay, Helena, Jessica, Quinandria, Keomba, Rebecca and Nijeeah!!! Let's hope the rest of the summer is just as good, if not better!

-Kathy

Keomba's husbandry duties

It's pretty interesting! To be honest, ever since I've worked with Husbandry, I've gotten better at holding my breath! I don't like cleaning my doggy's poop so cleaning snake cages is 10 times worse! LOL! It's hard to clean it when it gets really hard. Plus, I have a mild OCD problem so trying to get every white piece of poop gets really annoying! But I like (weird, I know!). It gives me more time with my boyfriend, Monty Python [ball python]. He keeps a clean home so he's a keeper. (Sorry, all the snake waste is getting to me!)

Anyways, it's a good experience. When I get to make shrimp cups (although I'm 100% against animal death) I feel like Julia Child. But Julia wishes she could be a shrimp cutting-pooper scooper!

-Keomba

P.S. Sorry Mom, I know you hate it when I talk about snakes :)

Nijeeah's husbandry duties

So I guess I'd consider myself rather lucky, being that I've only had one husbandry duty thus far. Perhaps I wouldn't consider myself that lucky because that duty was to clean the snake cages. At this point, I've sort of conquered my fear of snakes. It's actually my favorite thing to do now, handle the big snakes (but shhhh....let's keep that on the D.L.).

So with cleaning the cages, the plus side is also getting some snake time. The downfall being that the actual cleaning part. There I was on Monday afternoon in classroom A with my fellow high school intern Kieontay, as well as the almighty Kate. I was prepared to take down these snakes and their cages until we happened across George's [Eastern king snake] cage, which read "Some privacy please. It's time for me to regrow my skin." We took a peak in and there it was on one side, George, and the other side, his shed. It was pretty cool, that is until we opened the glass window of his cage. We were then bombarded by this wretched smell. I guess that's what you get when he's been fed and he's gone a few times. But I didn't let this stop me. I came with a purpose and a goal and I was ready to accomplish this task. Or so I thought. I preceded to reach me hand in (once George was removed) and take out the contaminated newspapers when my hand actually met a large chunk of the famous Eastern king snake's fecal matter. I was completely grossed out of course but Kieontay and I continued to tackle this cage, one piece of poop at a time. We felt quite accomplished when the mission was completed.

-Nijeeah

Quinandria's husbandry duties

I enjoy helping out with husbandry duties because it's a sense of responsibility, especially because the animals and staff depend on my work and accuracy. The best part about cleaning gator and turtle bins is that I get to have a mini-water fight with the other intern! All together I love being responsible for certain duties at the Aquarium.

-Quinandria

Kieontay's husbandry duties

I think it's something that should be done. The animals need to be taken care of, that is our job. No one wants to be bothered with a filthy, unhealthy animal so as Aquarium staff, it should be our duty to make sure all the animals are safe and healthy. The animals can't talk and tell us when they want the water to be changed or when they don't feel well. So when handling or watching them, we should look for these signs. It is because of these animals and plants that we are here. It is important that we take care of them.

-Kieontay

Shantell's husbandry duties

I think husbandry duites are ways to show how well you can handle chores, responsibilities, and general maintenance for an animal's well being. My chore is gator bins and it is a personal achievement seeing an animal in fresh, clean water. It lets you know you got the job done and in a way, the animals do thank you for it by showing you a toothy grin.

Husbandry duties are AWESOME!!

-Shantell

Jessica's husbandry duties

It's very fun! I enjoy cleaning gator bins, feeding the birds in the Saltmarsh and collecting bird pans in the Mountain Forest. It's a process that you have to go through and it feels good to know that I have helped care for the animals. You have to use your strength to scrub the gator bins but I know the gators are happy to be swimming in clean water at the end of the day.

It's always a joy to feed the horseshoe crabs and stingrays at the Touch Tank. Husbandry duties may sound gross and dirty but it's fun to get your hands dirty sometimes. I even stepped on a dry, dead fish that the birds didn't eat in the saltmarsh.

I will continue to help out because it is an awesome job to do.

-Jessica

Maisa's husbandry duties

Helping out with hsubandry duties is an amazing experience! It gives me the opportunity to take care of different animals and their little homes.

As of now, I get to sun the turtles on Monday mornings (both greens and loggerheads). I also get to clean up after Liberty (our bald eagle) and after our turkey (out in the Mountain Forest). Cleaning out the gator bins is another duty I get to do.

I love to help out the animals in any and every way possible! I never imagined doing some of these things but I'm glad that I can say that now.

-Maisa

Rebecca's husbandry duties

I love helping out with husbandry duties. It's fun to do the thing most people don't get to see. Cleaning out Liberty's [bald eagle] cage is really cool. I was a little scared at first that she was going to attack me but it turned out to be ok.

In the Saltmarsh, it's fun to go up into the exhibit. We have fun picking up all the old food when they start to smell really bad. The only thing I don't like is working with the turkey. He always tries to come right up to us.

I think the shrimp cups are my favorite part. I love peeling and cutting them up. So far, working to help with husbandry duties have been really fun and I hope it keeps getting better and better.

-Rebecca

Samia's husbandry duties

The husbandry duties are really interesting! It's sometimes funny to see a visitor's reaction as I'm cleaning up. As I was cleaning the Saltmarsh exhibit, guests were watching in awe. I laughed and picked up a half-chewed fish up to my face before putting it in the tin plate to be thrown away.

Picking up the sea turtles and putting them in bins before they go outside is a fun experience! Waiting for their temperatures to rise, however, can be a little dull sometimes if I'm just sitting around. I'll be sure to bring something to read next time!

Working on husbandry duties were a lot more fun than I thought they would be.

-Samia

Helena's husbandry duties

It's fun but not easy. For me, helping with husbandry duties involves sea turtles, a bald eagle and birds in the Mountain Forest and Saltmarsh.

My Mondays begin with sunning the baby sea turtles. Sounds easy, eh? After completing numerous tasks, I tend to come out with soaked clothes. For me, sunning turtles is not so easy. I'd say my Tuesday duties run a little bit smoother. I cut up shrimp for the stingrays, collect old food and put out new food for the birds, and hose down the floor of Liberty's [bald eagle] enclosure.

Preparing shrimp cups isn't so bad but bird food and poop is a totally different story. Putting new food out for the birds in the Saltmarsh doesn't create any problems, picking up the old food that's been sitting in the heat for hours does. I've been known to have a strong stomach but the smell from the old food seems to get me every time.

In the Mountain Forest, the smell isn't too bad so all my attention is on picking up the plates as fast as I can before the turkey comes around. Oh man, what an adventure in the Mountain Forest, especially when the mist is in full effect. The last task on my list is Liberty's poop. It's quite simple - all I have to do is hose down the ground while hoping Liberty doesn't decide to poop right where I'm standing.

Helping with husbandry duties provides me with a great "behind the scenes" experience. I LOVE IT!

-Helena