Student Profiles

Purposeful Work Interns reflect on their interests, values, and skills before, during and after their internships.

Rebeccah Bassell ’16 and Jane Spardel ’17 interned with core employer Quill Grammar, an education technology start-up founded by Bates graduates Peter Gault ’11 and Ryan Novas ’11.
Rebeccah Bassell ’16 and Jane Spardel ’17 interned with core employer Quill Grammar, an education technology start-up founded by Bates graduates Peter Gault ’11 and Ryan Novas ’11.

Rebeccah Bassell ’16

Internship Site: Quill Grammar (PW core employer)

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Before: “I am excited to work as a game design intern, an area which I am incredibly interested in exploring but have found difficulty breaking into from a liberal arts background.”

During: “One day, I was asked to visit a school and playtest one of our new games. I was able to see the real world impact of my work at Quill”

After: “The Bates curriculum encourages the interdisciplinary application of larger concepts and themes that are present throughout our classes. Working at a start-up, where I am asked to do many different things, has helped me to realize this strength from Bates.”

Alex Eaton ‘17 and Wendy Goldman ‘16 interned at Central Maine Medical Center in the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute.
Alex Eaton ’17 and Wendy Goldman ’16 interned at Central Maine Medical Center in the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute.

Alex Eaton ’17

Internship Site: Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute (PW core employer)

Location: Lewiston, ME

Before: “Working in a hospital is going to be an amazing experience I have dreamed about for many years.”

During: “One challenge I’ve faced is navigating different working styles. I’ve had to mentally catalogue how to work and act around different superiors, because they have different expectations of what they want and how they want it done.”

After: “The depth with which I was immersed into the inter-workings of the hospital taught me more than I could ever imagine. This experience was life-changing.”

Joaquin Espinosa ‘16 interned with 1776, a start-up incubator in Washington, D.C., with Kate Nolan ’06.
Joaquin Espinosa ’16 interned with 1776, a start-up incubator in Washington, D.C., with Kate Nolan ’06.

Joaquin Espinosa ’16

Internship Site: 1776 (PW core employer)

Location: Washington, D.C.

Before: “I am looking forward with working with people so passionate about changing things and challenging societal norms.”

During: “I started working and I felt I was not as capable as the other interns. But something that I am is perseverant. My goal changed from trying to prove I was the smartest to trying my hardest to make the most out of my internship.”

After: “Being motivated, down to earth, critical and self-aware are things I have been exposed to at Bates, and I have realized their importance this summer.”

Shannon Griffin ’16 had a Bates in Asia internship with the Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation in Taiwan.
Shannon Griffin ’16 had a Bates in Asia internship with the Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation in Taiwan.

Shannon Griffin ’16

Internship Site: Bunun Cultural and Educational Foundation (Bates in Asia)

Location: Taiwan

Before: “I expect navigating a new country, culture, and way of life will be surprising to say the least. I am excited to delve outside my comfort zone.”

During: “When I arrived in Taiwan, I asked someone where the trash can was located. After getting over the shock that I was speaking Chinese to her, the woman said with a giggle, ‘You sound like a mainlander!’ From that point on I was determined to pick up on the grammar and phrases that the Taiwanese use.”

After: “Living in rural Taiwan has made me more comfortable with being uncomfortable, inquisitive, and patient with bridging the gaps between cultures. I’m positive that cultural intelligence is a valuable asset for any business, and I can offer that.”

Nathaniel Levin ’16 interned with Fusemachines, founded by Sameer Maskey ’02. Fusemachines seeks to improve the Customer Service market by combining the best of the human element and artificial intelligence to deliver faster, better results for companies.
Nathaniel Levin ’16 interned with Fusemachines, founded by Sameer Maskey ’02. Fusemachines seeks to improve the Customer Service market by combining the best of the human element and artificial intelligence to deliver faster, better results for companies.

Nathaniel Levin ’16

Internship Site: Fusemachines (PW core employer)

Location: New York, NY

Before: “Working as a business analyst in a tech firm will be a fascinating intersection between two fields. The cutting-edge and technological side will illuminate the transition of our economy into one that is cyber-driven, while the classic components of business will drive my day-to-day activities.”

During: “The biggest challenge is making sure I am completing work in exactly the way my supervisors want. I am working in a more challenging environment than I had been previously exposed to.”

After: “I feel much more comfortable working with Excel to create models and handle data in a way that allows me to more effectively present findings to clients.”

Fatima Sacko ’17 is in her second summer internship with Girls Be Heard, an organization that seeks to empower young women through performance centered on social justice and feminism.
Fatima Sacko ’17 is in her second summer internship with Girls Be Heard, an organization that seeks to empower young women through performance centered on social justice and feminism.

Fatima Sacko ’17

Internship Site: Girl Be Heard

Location: New York, NY

Before: “The biggest surprise I have encountered is how laid back my work environment is. I love how no one is judged for being themselves and people are able to freely and creatively express themselves.”

During: “I never realized how much Bates has taught me how to think outside the box and think critically about certain situations.”

After: “I helped cultivate and gather new research materials for afterschool education curriculum. I also assisted with any administrative task such as filing, creating statistics and graphics with participant data.”