2022 Summer internships: Wildlife conservation, social work, and venture building

Over the past semester break, three Yale-NUS students explored a variety of internship experiences–– across different industries and even countries. From wildlife conservation to social work and venture building, the lines of work that these students immersed themselves in differed broadly. But they all stand united in their moments of growth.

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 Shuna Maekawa at the laboratory he was working at during his internship. Image provided by Mandai Wildlife Group for Yale-NUS College.

Environmental Studies major Shuna Maekawa (Class of 2023) has spent the past three years of College delving into his interest in conservation issues and research.

A part of the Wildlife Explorers group under I’dECO (an umbrella-style student organisation for sustainability in Yale-NUS College), Shuna is involved in leading nature trails around campus beyond with the aim of reconnecting the college community with surrounding flora and fauna.

Entering his final year of College in the coming semester, Shuna decided to pursue an internship that could allow him to gain more real-world experience. The Student Researcher position offered by Mandai Wildlife Group was a perfect match for his interests, since the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is one of the few places in Singapore with thriving zoological research.

In particular, he was excited by the opportunity to engage in ‘ex-situ’ conservation research, which refers to conservation of animals and plants outside their natural habitat (such as in the zoo, aquarium, botanical garden).  During his internship, Shuna worked on ex-situ research with invertebrates, with his main project focusing on determining the optimal environmental conditions for stick insect species under human care.

Reflecting on the highlights of his time at the zoo, Shuna detailed an experience where he reared jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) from hatchlings and closely monitored their development. He described the memory of his first nymph moulting about a month after hatching: “I was delighted because I had been watching them almost every day, it’s like witnessing your child walk for the first time!”

And when he turned to share the moment with his fellow keepers, they smiled in complete understanding. The opportunity to be around people who feel the same excitement was “absolutely amazing” for Shuna, and he was glad to be able to share his joy and passion with like-minded people during his time there.

Claudia Tan (centre in black) with her colleagues at Impart. Image provided by Claudia.

When Claudia Kexin Tan (Class of 2024) first joined Impart as a Strategic Communications Intern, it felt like diving into the deep end.

Impart is a charity based in Singapore that works with youth facing adversities using a volunteer-driven, community-based approach.

As someone who was already volunteering in the social sector with Merpati Kaki, “a ground-up community initiative that serves the needs of residents along Merpati Road who were forced to relocate”, Claudia wanted to expand her area of work to gain further exposure.

However, Claudia had no experience in communications, and the bulk of her work consisted of writing feature articles that are published on Impart’s website. Learning to write for a job––crafting a story from start to finish, meeting internal timelines––was a challenge.

Nevertheless, Claudia appreciated how intentional the process of story-telling was. Before she even began putting word to paper, Claudia had to go through multiple discussions between her supervisor, the youth volunteer, and finally the youth themselves to understand their story.

In addition to her writing work, Claudia was also able to support a youth in preparing for an upcoming basic literacy and numeracy assessment. Claudia shared, “As her tutor, I got to learn more about her circumstances. At 29 years old, she already has kids; she’s even working two jobs! I came to learn about the tough choices she faces, like deciding between coming for tuition or working more hours to put food on the table.

“I was therefore able to understand more about the educational gaps that still exist in our education system.”

Ultimately, while reflecting on her internship journey, Claudia shared that she has come to see communications work as pivotal to the work of social- and community-oriented organisations. Sharing the good work of the organisation helps draw the right partners and stakeholders to you in order to extend the impact of your work, Claudia explained.

Chan Shawn Kit and his team at Kaya Founders. Image provided by Shawn Kit. 

For Chan Shawn Kit (Class of 2024), his internship took him to the shores of the Philippines, where he worked at Kaya Founders Philippines, an early stage venture fund and builder.

Kaya Founders stood out to him as it was a venture builder based in the Philippines, where the market is very nascent in terms of the start-up ecosystem. In addition, Shawn Kit explained that during the pandemic, there was an exponential growth in digital adoption in the Philippines, and he felt like it was a great opportunity when it came to engaging with the start-up market there. Feeling intrigued by the company’s thesis and focus on building digital companies for the Philippines and Southeast Asia, Shawn Kit decided to apply for the position.

Though this position might seem out of left field for the History major, Shawn Kit had been exploring the tech industry. He said, “I think there’s synergies between the skill sets that I gained in studying History, such as critical thinking, honing contextual understanding, and being able to link things together and see the macro picture.”

When describing his work at Kaya Founders, the words ‘“multitasking’ and team-managing come to mind. Shawn Kit explained that the members of his team come from very different backgrounds: two students in business, one from architecture, and the last in communications. In terms of skill sets, and even in terms of nationality, his team was very diverse.

Shawn Kit appreciated his internship for the high level of autonomy the company gave to interns in pitching ideas, and actually green-lighting the project and allowing them to follow through.

Shawn Kit added, “To try and drive a venture from the ground up, you have to incorporate all these many elements, while keeping the big picture in sight. I learned that consensus building, and being able to see where you fit in, is very important. And so I multitask in a way that I don’t have a fixed role, I feel like I do what’s necessary––from market research and business development, to user interviews and sourcing founders to subsequently drive the venture.”

The sharing of three students highlights how the College continually provides opportunities for our students and alumni to widen and deepen their interests––be it in the field of academia, personal passion, or professional development.