Shana Burke made the brave choice to venture to the University of Maryland to study sustainable agriculture at the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA), and it has led her to a wonderful summer internship with a few twists and turns. Coming from Charles County in Southern Maryland, Burke came to UMD determined to learn and to apply her skills. Now in her second year, she has enjoyed her experiences in and outside of the classroom.
This summer, Burke interned at the US National Arboretum in Washington DC. She enjoyed the many tasks she was assigned, including watering plants in the poly house, trimming bushes and trees, and picking weeds out of the garden beds. There were even funny moments like when a raccoon climbed into the greenhouse and the workers had to call animal control! But what Burke favored most was soil testing in China Valley which is located in the Asian collection.
Burke explained that there are different collections. She was assigned to the Asian collection, where she worked independently to compare soils dating back to 1997. She enjoyed soil testing so much at her internship that she hopes it will lead to a career in soils. She plans to further her education and get a bachelor’s degree in agronomy after completing her certificate at the IAA.
This internship not only provided an opportunity to learn and grow as a worker, but it gave Burke an opportunity to glimpse her future career. Her IAA advisor, Meredith Epstein, had positive remarks about Burke. “Shana rose to a serious challenge when her supervisor retired part way through her internship. Her work ethic and ability to work independently were so impressive that she was awarded significant responsibility and offered a job!” exclaimed Epstein.
Burke learned new skills--communicating through radios, time management, and how to drive a stick shift. “I really appreciated how the employees at the U.S. National Arboretum treated the interns as if we were coworkers,” says Burke. This experience overall created a wonderful atmosphere or her to learn, grow, and prosper into a more confident and knowledgeable student and worker.
