Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences
Young Alumna Helps Students Get Work Experience AFTER LANDING A FORESTER JOB, MIKAILA TERABERRY IS NOW HIRING CNR INTERNS
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hortly after graduating in 2016, forestry alumna Mikaila Teraberry had her pick of jobs. The forestry graduate turned down one offer on the rainy coast of Oregon in favor of an internship that led to her current position as a forester with Hancock Natural Resource Group, a company of Manulife Investment Management, in Colville, Washington. She loves her work. A Sandpoint native, Teraberry grew up hunting and fishing with her dad and knew she wanted to work outside. Now, she has so much opportunity to be outdoors, she sometimes welcomes a day in the office. As an added benefit, her work also reconnects her to the College of Natural Resources. “I really like going back and getting in touch with my professors. I want to get more University of Idaho students to participate in our internships, and we also have a scholarship that they can apply for,” she said. “It’s really nice to still be involved.” Teraberry recently hired her first intern, Michael Mackelwich, a forestry senior. Last summer, he shadowed a different forester almost every day, seeing many aspects of the work including active logging, laying out harvesting units, stream buffering and tree typing. “It was a really great summer,” said Mackelwich. “I had the chance to do so many different things each day. I really got a feel for what I might do in the future after I graduate.” Teraberry knows how important an internship can be. As a student herself, the search for summer jobs caused her to change her major to forestry when she saw how many opportunities were available in the field. As a junior, she dove into her new major becoming involved with the Society of American Foresters, working at the Pitkin Nursery and taking on a forestry operations minor.
Mikaila Teraberry, a forester with Hancock Natural Resouce Group.
“The opportunities are endless at CNR,” she said. “Every single one of the professors really looks out for your best interests.” CNR faculty Andrew Nelson and Rob Keefe were great mentors, she said. Nelson challenged students on their research papers, and Keefe worked hard to get employers in to talk to students, whether it was for a summer internship or full-time employment after graduation. Teraberry feels fortunate to have a position with Hancock Natural Resource Group where she undertakes a wide variety of activities including silviculture, building roads, laying out harvest units and administering harvest jobs. In addition, she is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative coordinator for her office. There are also a number of growth opportunities at the international company. She hopes other students can find a position like hers and urged students to take advantage of all the college has to offer. “Don’t be afraid to get involved and get involved as soon as you can – live in the CNR House, study with your peers, join clubs and just meet people,” she said. “It’s so beneficial to your career. The relationships that I built through clubs and classes were amazing.” Michael Mackelwich, senior forestry major at U of I.
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WINTER 2019 - 20
