Student Internships

Fighting the Alder Creek Fires

During her summer break in 2021, ISABELLA SCHEIBL, a senior at Wisconsin Lutheran College, interned in Wyoming with the Bridger Teton National Forest. In the middle of her internship, she was “loaned” out to help fight the Alder Creek Fires in Montana.

“Before I worked at the Bridger Teton National Forest, I was thinking about going to graduate school after WLC. For me, this summer confirmed that I should pursue a graduate degree in this field because I want to keep learning about the natural world with an eventual goal of being a restoration ecologist,” Isabella said.

This internship gave her the opportunity to use the background knowledge she’s acquired in classes at WLC, especially leaning on her environmental science classes. “Natural resources connections, stream ecology, marine science, geomorphology, and environmental science were all great classes for me because there is a little bit from each one that was applicable to at least some aspect of my summer. From

learning about the atmosphere, to crafting résumés, I found myself employing my education quite often. I saw of lot of natural phenomena that gave me ‘Oh, I learned about that!’ type of moments,” Isabella added. helped fight the Alder Creek Fires. The hazards of the work, dealing with the elevation while climbing the mountains, and learning how weather parameters can predict fire activity all presented new challenges.

“To begin, there are a lot of hazards on fires, so you must keep your head on a swivel. I learned a lot about radio language and how to set the radio frequencies. I learned how to set up a 1,000-gallon porta tank and set up a Mark 3 water pump. I learned how to sleep under the stars and on gravel every night. I learned how to light controlled burns with a drip torch. I learned that you don’t take your boots off in the fire engine under any circumstances. And I learned that being on a crew with great people is everything. My experience would have been totally different if the other crew members hadn’t taken me under their wings,” Isabella commented.

I got really close to a lot of fire that night. It was by far the coolest thing, and the scariest thing, I have ever done

in my life! - Isabella

Isabella with Dr. Juanita Becker in Yellowstone National Park

There were also some great highlights from such an intense experience, things that Isabella learned to take in and appreciate.

“For me, the highlight of each day was eating dinner and talking with everyone else on the crew. We got close since we spent every waking hour with each other, so there was a lot of teasing and many good laughs, especially at mealtime. The overall highlight was a huge burn operation that took place on our last day on the fire. I got really close to a lot of fire that night. It was by far the coolest thing, and the scariest thing, I have ever done in my life,” she added. Flagg Ranch, located between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, when she was able to meet up with Isabella on a day off from the internship.

“Isabella had not seen the Geyser basins on the west side of Yellowstone, so with a little teamwork, she got to see all of them in spite of the crowds, as well as Old Faithful geyser. After that, we enjoyed an excellent buffet dinner at Old Faithful Inn. What made it even more memorable was hearing her compare forest fire fighting techniques with my campground neighbor, a member of the New York Fire Department,” Becker commented. During this internship, Isabella learned a lot of new skills and picked up great collaboration skills due to ranger districts working so closely. She had the opportunity to learn to operate an ATV, how to use small engines, conduct maintenance on water pump systems, and interact with the public in a positive way while still enforcing the rules. All of this was in addition to the skills she picked up while working on Alder Creek. The internship had its scary moments but also allowed for some great reflection on her experiences.

“I think my biggest takeaway from this summer was that attitude is everything. Going into this experience with an open mind and trusting that God brought me there with a purpose helped me to focus on doing my best to learn and grow from it instead of being scared and overwhelmed,” said Isabella.

Photo by National Wildfire Coordinating Group

BROADCASTING

WITH THE CHINOOKS

WLC senior ETHAN ORTIZ interned with the Lakeshore Chinooks baseball team over the summer. Though he plans to go into broadcasting or work as a sports reporter, Ethan grabbed the opportunity when the Chinooks had an opening in video production.

“I thought that it would be good for me to add to my résumé that I took on a new challenge like video production. I was providing the live feed of the baseball games that viewers watch at home,” Ethan said.

This internship gave him the opportunity to use a variety of the skills he’s acquired at WLC, especially his communication skills.

“I think a lot of my communication classes helped with becoming a well-rounded communicator, especially in this situation, when it came to gaining new skills and working with a group of new people, who I now call my friends,” Ethan added.

Adaptability was also the name of the game in this position with the Chinooks; Ethan relied on his abilities to quickly learn new skills and process information.

“When I am put in a situation that’s new or different, I have to figure out how I can get the job done and learn fast and not hold the group back,” Ethan commented.

He got to learn about different opportunities in the broadcasting industry, which he can research further as he decides on his post-graduation plans.

MARKETING THE SONG SUFFRAGETTES

In the summer of 2021, WLC senior HAYLEY GIOVINAZZO traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to intern with the Song Suffragettes, an all-female country music singer-songwriter showcase held every Monday night at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville. Hayley’s goal after graduation is to move to Nashville to pursue a career in the music industry, particularly in songwriting, so this internship was a chance to see how the industry operates.

“My internship definitely aligned with my future goals, and having a marketing job in the music industry gave me a good idea on what I can do while pursuing my music dreams. I realized that there are jobs supporting what I love most, which is music,” Hayley said.

This internship gave her the opportunity to use a variety of the skills she’s acquired at WLC, especially leaning on her marketing skills.

“My advertising and social media marketing class with Prof. Van Acker and my marketing class with Dr. Kudek prepared me well for the position. They taught me the language people in a marketing position use, which helped going into the internship,” Hayley added.

Hayley pointed out how much this internship allowed her to see the rewards for taking a risk. When she first applied for the position, she didn’t have a plan for living in Nashville but she knew she was passionate about the organization and that applying felt like the right decision.

“I knew that all the unknowns would work out if it was ultimately God’s will, and it was. Through this opportunity, God allowed me to be in Nashville pursuing my dreams and working at an amazing organization. If I had let the unknowns stop me from applying, I wouldn’t have had this amazing and fulfilling experience,” said Hayley.