Weekly WISE #1

Hello! This is the first post written for the Weekly WISE Blog; for the next five weeks, participants in WISE NL’s Student Summer Employment Program will be writing short reflections about their experiences in the program. This week, the reflections are written by Claire McCarthy and Amy Rose. Enjoy!

Amy R, WISE Web Content Developer 

Hi! My name’s Amy– this is my first week in the Student Summer Employment Program. I am currently working as a Website Content Developer for WISE NL. My first day in the SSEP included a morning orientation for all the program’s participants, where we received a short tour of the MUN campus and spent some time meeting each other. My job includes editing and maintaining the official websites for the Student Summer Employment Program and the Indigenous Youth Initiative. One of my tasks will be uploading these student reflections to the SSEP website every week. In fact, this blog post will be one of my first contributions to the site! In the short time I’ve been working with WISE NL, I’ve learned a lot of useful skills in web development. The SSEP and IYI websites were both built using WordPress, meaning I’ve spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with the editor and all the features it includes. My job has also allowed me to dabble in coding, using different programs like HTML and CSS. So far, it’s been a fantastic opportunity working with WISE NL, and I’m looking forward to growing my skills in web development and programming over the summer. 

Claire M, Research Assistant 

Hi! My name is Claire, and I recently finished my first week of the Student Summer Employment Program. On my first day at SSEP, I got to play some games with the other program participants to get to know them, and we also got an orientation and a tour of the MUN campus. I’m currently employed by MUN’s biology department as a research assistant. Measuring ingredients, removing sponges from vials so they can be cleaned, and educating myself on topics related to the work my supervisor is doing are some of the duties that come with my job. I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve worked in a lab, including the fact that there is a lot more cleaning in real labs than the ones in movies and tv :). I’ve found it to be very interesting so far, and I can’t wait to advance my scientific knowledge and learn more.