This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
Name: Gwen Schanker
Grade: Third year
Major: Journalism and Biology
Past Co-op: Corporate Communications Co-op at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Current Co-op Job Title: Science Writing Intern at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Communications Department
What made you apply to this company?
“I’m interested in a career in science journalism, and working on the communications team at WHOI puts me right at the center of an amazing community of marine scientists. I was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about oceanography and to apply my science writing skills in a different type of environment than my last co-op.”
What does your typical day look like?
“So far, each day has been slightly different. I attended a conference on aquaculture my very first day, conducted an interview with a postdoctoral student on Tuesday, and toured one of the larger science buildings last Friday. In general, my schedule is pretty flexible, so I have the chance to work on my various assignments throughout the day rather than during specific windows of time.”
What do you hope to gain from these six months?
“I hope to become more comfortable processing complex science, and to improve my writing and interviewing skills by interacting with other scientists and writers. I also plan to get better at thinking about stories visually – because the ocean is so visually stimulating, they do a lot of work with photography, video and infographics here, all of which I haven’t worked with much before.”