UMBC receives $2.8M from NSF for master’s program to prepare a diverse environmental science workforce

Volunteers are needed as Junior Achievement (JA) partners with more than 75 businesses to host the expansion of JA Inspire. 

JA Inspire is a career exploration fair for more than 8,000 8^th grade students which will feature an interactive, hands-on showcase of careers with Maryland businesses, government agencies, and post-secondary institutions. This volunteer opportunity will help with the flow of students, safety and mentoring for about 5 hours on November 13 or 14 for JA Inspire at the Timonium Fairgrounds.  Most positions are inside, a few outside and no preparation is required. Volunteers will be on their feet most of the time.  P

lease check out the video below to see what JA Inspire is all about!

https://youtu.be/knNiizRkPPM

INTERESTED, CONTACT:

Lene McCollum | Director of Partner Engagement 

Junior Achievement® of Central Maryland

10711 Red Run Blvd | Suite 110 | Owings Mills, MD 21117

O: 410.753.3286 | lmccollum@jamaryland.org

The National Aquarium is looking for interns for What Lives in the Harbor!

As a What Lives in the Harbor intern, you will work with Baltimore City students in grade 6 to teach them about what it means to live in a watershed. You will help students investigate what lives in the harbor by identifying organisms found there and taking water quality samples.  The internship provides unpaid work experience.
ROLE OF INTERNS
Interns will assist instructors in leading activity stations during field investigations with middle school students. Field investigations take place at the National Aquarium’s campus on Inner Harbor Piers 3 and 4. Interns’ duties and responsibilities include:

•    Becoming familiar with program content
•    Becoming familiar with how to operate scientific equipment
•    Setting up and breaking down station supplies
•    Monitoring stations and supplies when students are not present
•    Escorting students to their stations upon arrival at the Aquarium
•    Teaching program content to groups at their assigned stations
•    Assisting with monitoring student behavior and safety

Interested applicants should contact learn@aqua.org

This year, I became one of the many women who leave their jobs because of sexual harassment. I always knew it was something that happened; I just didn’t think it would happen to me.

I’m not alone; reports have found that 60% of women say they experience “unwanted sexual attention, sexual coercion, sexually crude conduct, or sexist comments” in the workplace. It’s a scary and isolating experience, and deciding what to do about it is difficult. After it happened, I did everything “right.” I didn’t wait, I went directly to my HR representative, and I told the truth. It didn’t matter that I followed protocol; they still didn’t do anything about it. 

The fact that I reported my harassment already puts me in the minority. It’s estimated that 90% of people who are harassed at work never report it, for a variety of reasons. Some workers are undocumented and face the threat of deportation if they come forward, something their abusers know and exploit. Others are afraid of retaliation — a very real fear. 71% of people who report their harassment to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission also report retaliation. Others simply don’t think they’ll be believed. Every day, women are forced into a situation where they must continue working with their harasser.

I continued working with the man who harassed me for six months. I would hide in the bathroom during downtimes on my shift so that I wouldn’t have to see him. My income went down as I gave shifts away on days I knew he would be working. Eventually, I was able to switch around my hours to avoid him, but even then, I never felt safe at work again. I knew that if anything happened to me, I would not be taken seriously.

So, I quit. But not until I found a new job, which took months, and not without taking a pretty significant pay cut. Again, this is a tragically common occurrence. For many, sexual harassment leads to not only to a decline in mental health, but significant financial stress. One study found that as many as 8 in 10 women who experience sexual harassment leave their job within two years. For some, this means leaving a job before a new one is found and facing the economic hardship of unemployment. For others, this means abandoning well-paying jobs or leaving their field altogether, limiting opportunities for career advancement or tenure. 

It’s also important to note that women of color are disproportionately affected by this. Already, women of color are presumed to be less competent no matter their qualifications. This negatively impacts their potential for professional advancement on top of all the impacts that sexual harassment has on their careers. The power imbalances between women of color and white bosses put them at an even greater risk. In 2016, black women reported harassment at 3.8 times the rate of white women. We know that most women never report their harassment, so it’s likely that the real numbers are much higher.

I paint a bleak picture, I know, but it’s important to understand that this is still happening and that despite all the progress that’s been made, too many employers still don’t take it seriously. It’s important to keep talking about the harassment we face, to continue to speak out against it and not let our stories be ignored or brushed aside. I want to talk about what happened to me because it wasn’t fair. It shouldn’t have happened and I won’t stop shouting until something changes. My story is not unique. I am not alone. And neither are you.  

Additional Information and Resources 

What it’s like to return to work after being sexually harassed

Guide for potential ways to respond if you’re being sexually harassed at work 

Racial disparities in sexual harassment statistics 

More information about workplace sexual harassment 

As we enter into the 2019-2020 school year, we are excited to introduce you to the brilliant, creative, and driven UMBC students working in the Women’s Center! Please take a minute or two to read through some short bios below, and hopefully, you’ll be able to meet and make friends with each one of these lovely folks working with us over the school year. Kaitlyn Kylus, Social Work, she/her

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn and I’m a junior this year. I’m majoring in Social Work with a minor in Psychology, and I’m super excited to be working at the Women’s Center this year. I can’t wait to meet you all!

Kay Hinderlie, Psychology, they/them

Hi folks! I’m Kay, and I’m a senior at UMBC. I am pursuing a BA in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. When I’m not in the Women’s Center or in classes, you would probably find me watching cartoons or taking napping. I love trying new things! I’ve taken up playing video games and listening to podcasts less than a year ago. If you see me around, please feel free to say hi!

Morgan Mullings, Media and Communication Studies, she/her and they/them

Hi! My name is Morgan and I’m a senior here at UMBC pursuing a BA in Media and Communications major with minors in English and Cinematic Arts. I am a poet, photographer, and aspiring filmmaker and most of my work stems from my own identity and experiences as a woman of color. If I’m not working at the Women’s Center you can find me watching Ghost Shark (2013) with my friends. I am also a huge stationary nerd and I worked at commonvision so ask me any question about a piece of paper.

If I could be any mythical creature it would be a unicorn that only speaks in quotes about intersectional feminism.

Sam Hertl, Social Work, they/them

Hello! My name is Sam and I’m a Social Work major with a Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies minor at UMBC. I’ll be working in the Women’s Center this year to fulfill my senior year Social Work Field Placement. I’ll be helping facilitate the discussion groups Between Women and We Believe You. I am passionate about advancing gender equity especially with a focus on the trans and genderqueer community. I’m looking forward to the connections I will be making and the knowledge that I’ll gain while a part of the Women’s Center community!

Additionally, I’m a big animal person (please show me pictures of your pets)! I’m an RA on campus, an aries, an artist, and an activist. Feel free to chat with me anytime!

Name: Jamie Denton

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Angel Publishing

Position Title: Copy Editor Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): B.A. English Literature, Media & Communication Studies

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Summer 2019 

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

As a copy editor intern, my day-to-day responsibilities consisted of editing written material—editorials, reports, journals, and promotions—in accordance with house style for over five investment publications. Additionally, I resolved ambiguities in syntax, gaps in logic, grammatical issues, and formatting errors by refining written work—basically, I ensured that all written material was error free and easy to read for the company's clients. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I actually found my position outside of UMBCworks, although it's definitely a very helpful tool I've used in the past to obtain other internships. Essentially, after I found the position on my own, I submitted my resume along with a few writing samples. After the company reviewed these materials, the head copy editor contacted me and requested that I complete a copy editor test to gauge my skill set and determine if I possessed the abilities required for the job. Once I completed this test and sent it back, the company then asked me to come in for an interview... and the rest is history! 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

The abundance of information I've learned! I can definitely say that I've left this internship as a stronger, more well-rounded writer and editor.

The head copy editor of the company is extremely intelligent, and I’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge on copy editing and the career as a whole. This internship experience has been so informative, and I can't wait to apply everything I've learned to other aspects of my academic career, such as my English classes, working as a tutor in the Writing Center, and my role as Copy Manager of The Retriever. 

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

As a copy editor intern, I'm merely one step of the long and arduous writing process. I enhance the writing of writers and editors to ensure that the financial material they're releasing to their clients is clear, error-free, and easy to understand so that clients can then use this information to advance themselves financially, gain more insight on the market, and accumulate wealth.  

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

Definitely visit the Career Center! It can be a bit intimidating because you may be unsure of what to expect or may feel underprepared but getting your resume and other work-related material carefully evaluated by professionals is an essential part in making yourself a more desirable candidate. So, take advantage of the many free resources you're provided with; otherwise, you're just doing yourself a disservice!

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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!