Full-time Intern

Nardos Amare, 22, senior Community Health major, is a Resident Assistant at the University. Instead of taking courses this semester, she is interning at the DC Department of Health’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration as apart of her major. It is a requirement that students in the Community Health major intern during their final semester. "We attend seminars on campus once a week, but we are not allowed to take courses. The internship counts as 12 credits so I am considered a full-time student at UMD."

As part of her morning routine, Amare makes sure to always include this step. "As a Christian, I understand the importance of how I start my day," she says. "Many people turn to their phones and laptops, and I sometimes fall into that habit. But lately I have been good with turning my attention to God right when I wake up and dedicating my day to Him before I let anything distract me. Reading my bible in the morning also helps me to get through the busy and long days at my internship."

"I pick my outfits based on the weather and my mood. I am so happy that the weather is finally becoming warm again, because that puts me in a brighter mood and motivates me to dress up more. During the cold weather, I'm stuck with wearing black pants most days of the week and just changed my top."

"I like to wear clothes that makes me feel comfortable and confident. So I tend to dress up more and add some personality to my outfit to stay in a positive and bright mood."

Amare checks her phone to see how much time she has left to get ready. "I have plenty of time," she says.

As an intern, Amare supports staff members in workgroups, attends meetings, completes online and in person trainings, and networks among public health professionals. "I like that I am working in an independent environment. I also like that my internship is very unique compared to the other internships that SPH students do. Emergency health is not something that we were really taught in courses. So through this internship, I have been able to gain new insight to what public health has to offer and I am very interested in pursuing it as a future profession."

Amare takes the Metro to get to her internship in DC, a few stops away from campus. "I have to be at my internship by 8:30am. I take the College Park metro to Navy Yard station, which is 30 minutes." Amare does not receive any stipend from her internship, so she has to pay for her transportation fees herself. "My internship is unpaid and I only am able to work a few hours on Fridays in order to have income. The metro fee is high because of the long commute, and I am noticing how much money I will have to devote to that. "

Every morning before leaving for work, Amare leaves a note for her suite mates to see later as they get ready for class. "I write notes on the mirror because it was something that I did on my own personal mirror. It helped me to affirm myself and I want to affirm the girls I am living with as well."

"I believe that it will encourage them and myself to start off their day on a positive note and give us a sense of empowerment."

By 7:15, Amare calls Nite Ride, a bus system at the University that picks students up between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. at areas where the evening buses do not run. 

"Sometimes there is an issue of how I get to the College Park station from my dorm," Amare says. "When it was cold, I relied on Nite Ride because it would pick me up right behind my dorm. I would call them at 7:15 a.m. and would either have to be ready to leave my dorm then or wait up to 15 minutes. Nite Ride would also be unreliable because the drivers would have to pick up other students and I would find myself driving all over campus, thus causing me to be late to my internship. Also, I don’t have cell phone service in my dorm, so I always have to step out to call Nite Ride."

Amare decides it's best to walk to the bus stop instead to not have to risk being late for work. "On days the weather is pleasant, I try to catch the 104 shuttle right by the M. It’s a 7 minute walk from my dorm and a reliable and quick ride. I believe that I will always catch the 104 shuttle now that the weather is going to be pleasant in the mornings."

By 7:29 a.m., she is out the door and on her way to her internship.