We’re All in This Together: Franklin College Students Looking Out for Peers
One of the most integral parts of Franklin College is our professors. Our college’s instructors are invested in bettering their students’ lives, and we thank them for their dedication to Franklin College community. However, another, yet underrated, source of support comes directly from our students — like senior Mahalah Wilson, who generously pioneered a new internship opportunity for future Franklin College students.
Living in Paragon, Indiana, the conservation/ecology major wanted a summer job that was close to her home. Fortunately, she stumbled upon the perfect position for her interests.
“I was looking around for positions and found an open position through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources at one of their state fish hatcheries down near Martinsville, Indiana. It was really close to my home, it was still in the science degree, and I actually landed the position” – Wilson
Knowing her advisor would be interested in hearing about her new job, Mahalah informed Benjamin O’Neal, Ph.D., and he transformed her summer job into an even more lucrative opportunity.
“I told Dr. O’Neal, ‘Hey, I have a summer job lined up.’ And he said, ‘Oh we can make that an internship for you. You can get credits and you can get scholarships to pay for those credits and mileage.’ I was so grateful for that because I wouldn’t have known how to do that externally.” – Wilson
Though Mahalah was thrilled about the extra resources her internship provided, the new connections she built for Franklin College excited her even more.
“Dr. O’Neal’s ecology class just went to that hatchery that I worked with, and I was able to stand there and explain to them what I’ve done. So, not only did it help me, but communicating with Dr. O’Neal about it has maybe led to more connections for Franklin College students in the future. It was a lot of fun to see people that I remember sitting in their chairs and thinking, ‘What am I going to do this summer?’” – Wilson
Thanks to students like Mahalah, incoming students will have numerous opportunities awaiting them at Franklin College. However, if by any chance you still cannot find the perfect internship for you, Franklin has a talented staff that will help you pioneer your own!
At Franklin, we reach our goals faster when we work together. Come see how you can help grow our community.