Reanna Frauens
Reanna Frauens is a current UF Animal Sciences student in the Animal Biology Specialization. Frauens spent her summer internship at Aspire Wildlife in D’Hanis, Texas. Aspire Wildlife is a 2,500-acre exotic livestock breeding/hunting ranch. At Aspire, Frauens worked to determine the nutritional needs of the animals by using feed ratios and medicating feeds to prevent internal parasites. She also overlooked all the fawns and other juveniles to ensure proper nutrition, maternal care, protection, and shelter. Frauens participated in darting procedures to tag and relocate animals around the ranch. She also completed research on bottle feeding for various species on the ranch.
Frauens acquired numerous skills while interning at Aspire. She learned about ranch management and animal husbandry practices while developing her critical thinking skills through hands-on experiences with wild animals.
This internship has enhanced Frauens’ undergraduate experience greatly. It has allowed her to be experimental with her hands-on experiences. Frauens says that as a pre-vet student, she feels she has the opportunity to “play veterinarian while learning about the other aspects of running a wildlife ranch.”
Frauens would recommend to fellow undergraduate students considering an internship to find something they are passionate about. She says internships are more enjoyable and educational when you are doing something you love and are eager to learn about.
Karina Vestergaard
Karina Vestergaard is a current UF Animal Sciences student in the Animal Biology Specialization. Vestergaard spent her summer interning at Wayne-Sanderson Farms in Oakwood, Georgia. Her 10-week Quality Assurance/Food Safety internship allowed her to travel to 10 processing facilities across the Southeast. Her goal was to understand their evisceration process better, as her project focused on developing a new sanitary dressing procedure for the entire company.
Vestergaard learned of this internship opportunity by taking the Careers in the Livestock Industry course, where Adrian McLain spoke about their internship program opportunities.
This internship has enhanced Vestergaard’s undergraduate experience by allowing her to learn more about the poultry industry and apply the topics she has learned in the classroom to real-life situations. She says, “I have gained a lot of hands-on experience and have been able to network with experts in the Quality Assurance/Food Safety field.”
Vestergaard would advise other Animal Sciences undergraduate students interested in completing an internship to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and be open to various opportunities. She also recommends pursuing internships outside of Florida.
2023 Animal Sciences Internship Seminar
Join us at the Animal Sciences Department’s Internship Seminar on Wednesday, October 11th at the UF/IFAS Straughn Professional Development Center. Students, educators, employers, and friends are invited to join us as we hear from over 40 current students showcasing their internships. The program will begin at 6:30 PM.
Find more information about the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences on our website. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Any questions or inquiries regarding this piece should be directed toward Aubrey Pearce at aubreypearce@ufl.edu. Read more stories like this one here: http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/animalsciencesdept/.
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