{"id":165410,"date":"2024-09-27T14:41:35","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T18:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=165410"},"modified":"2025-06-02T13:07:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T17:07:24","slug":"part-2-skills-surprises-epiphanies-as-bates-students-share-summer-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2024\/09\/27\/part-2-skills-surprises-epiphanies-as-bates-students-share-summer-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2: Skills, surprises, epiphanies as Bates students share summer experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This past summer, Bates offered 128 Purposeful Work internships in 18 states, the District of Columbia, and seven countries outside the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another five dozen students did funded research on campus with Bates professors across 14 academic disciplines, or had off-campus academic internships. Other students held internships with community organizations through Bates’ Harward Center for Community Partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, we shared stories and photographs of students who had summer internships outside Maine. This week, it’s back to Maine, and to Bates, for Part 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018I\u2019m glad to be making the most of these opportunities\u2019 \u2014 Pat Cullinane \u201925<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The place<\/strong>: A research lab in Bonney Science Center at Bates<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: Cullinane, a biochemistry major from Quincy, Mass., worked with four fellow students in the research lab of Associate Professor of Biology and Neuroscience Martin Kruse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pat Cullinane \u201925 had a summer research job in the lab of Associate Professor of Biology and Neuroscience Martin Kruse. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The research team is studying an important but not fully understood protein found in our cells that might play a critical role in several neurological conditions, such as epilepsy and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cullinane has his sights set on graduate school, so the professional experience of working in the Kruse lab has “been a great tool for gaining exposure with techniques and what a layout would look like in a post-grad lab as opposed to undergrad labs.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Cullinane’s research partner was Sebenele Lukhele \u201926, a biological chemistry major from Manzini, Eswatini, \u201cThis research lets me solve real-life problems in biochemistry. Plus, the community here has made the experience much more than just lab work \u2014 it\u2019s a whole growth process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cullinane has enjoyed going from neophyte to now standing on his own two feet as a researcher. \u201cA lot of labs are set up for you, but in this lab, you have a lot of control. You can share your ideas and guide your experience,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote<\/strong>: \u201cLearning how to design your own experiments is pretty awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left, members of the summer 2024 research team in the Kruse lab in Bonney Science Center: Natalia Correa \u201926 of Glastonbury, Conn.; Pat Cullinane ’25; Anna Kurianova \u201926 of Moscow; Martin Kruse; Sebenele Lukhele \u201926 of Manzini, Eswatini; and Yuka Enkh-Orgil \u201927 of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018My goal was to ensure they were having the best experience possible\u2019 \u2014 Chidera Kalu-Uka \u201927<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The place<\/strong>: Tree Street Youth in Lewiston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: A sociology major from Katy, Texas, Kalu-Uka was a Harward Center Summer Fellow at Tree Street Youth, where she supervised a group of third- and fourth-graders, becoming a mentor, friend, and active participant in their growth and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chidera
Chidera Kalu-Uka ’27 of Katy, Texas, had a 2024 Purposeful Work internship at Tree Street Youth in Lewiston. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before Kalu-Uka fell in love with Bates, she fell in love with Lewiston, and a summer spent at downtown Tree Street Youth \u201chas only strengthened that love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the leadership of executive director Julia Sleeper \u201808, who co-founded the organization with Kim Sullivan \u201813, Tree Street is a cornerstone youth support and aspirations program located in downtown Lewiston. \u201cAs someone who moved to this country only six years ago, I feel resonance with the impact Tree is making,\u201d said Kalu-Uka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bates Center for Purposeful Work encourages a developmental approach to the search for a rewarding career, with ample opportunities for both discovery and reflection. Kalu-Uka\u2019s summer at Tree Street prompted her to reflect on her academic and career goals, which had been focused solely on pre-health and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She now plans to major in sociology, minor in education, and stay on a pre-health and public-health track and pursue a career “dedicated to working with underserved communities, whether that be in public health, healthcare, or education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote<\/strong>: \u201cI\u2019ve discovered that my interests can intersect without sacrificing any of them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chidera
Chidera Kalu-Uka ’27 engages with a young child at Tree Street Youth in Lewiston. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018I\u2019ve been infected with the pure joy and curiosity of the kids\u2019 \u2014 Shenandoah Waugh \u201926<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The place<\/strong>: Harpswell (Maine) Heritage Land Trust<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: As a Purposeful Work intern who had never worked with children before, Shenandoah (Shenny) Waugh took on the daunting task of teaching, guiding, and herding 16 young children, ages 4 to 6, for five days a week, at the land trust\u2019s popular Nature Day Camp, located along the Maine coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shenny Waugh ’26 had a Purposeful Work internship at the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s Nature Day Camp. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


\u201cIt was challenging and intimidating,\u201d says Waugh, who discovered that working with children sparked a feeling of purpose. \u201c Working with young kids is so engaging, fun, and refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp provides screen-free opportunity to engage with nature. As technology continues to create a barrier between ourselves and the natural world, \u201cit is so important to offer these young kids an experience where fun is tech-free, and we embrace free exploration, curiosity, and even boredom,\u201d Waugh says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A double major in chemistry and European studies from Lyons, Colo., Waugh is a Bates Outing Club outdoor program manager and a Registered Maine Guide. \u201cEngaging with the BOC on campus has shown me what outdoor education looks like and potential career paths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote<\/strong>: \u201cWorking with young kids outdoors feels even more purposeful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"child
As technology continues to create a barrier between ourselves and the natural world, \u201cit is so important to offer these young kids an experience where fun is tech-free, and where we embrace free exploration, curiosity, and even boredom,\u201d Waugh says. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018I always look forward to the camaraderie\u2019 \u2014 Bora Lugunda \u201925<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The place<\/strong>: Ladd Library, Bates College<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: For Lugunda, a history major from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, this was her third summer working on campus as a field assistant for Information and Library Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Adutwum \u201927 of Tepa, Ghana, split his time between the ILS Help Desk in Ladd and the Harward Center, where he supported projects related to community-engaged learning and research. He also wrote blog posts<\/a> featuring student experiences in community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paul Adutwum \u201927 (left) of Tepa, Ghana, split his time between the ILS Help Desk in Ladd and the Harward Center, while Bora Lugunda \u201925 worked as a field assistant for Information and Library Services. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a pretty awesome set of bosses and really feel like an appreciated part of the team,\u201d says Lugunda, who takes care of computer setups and upgrades for faculty, staff, and labs. “I always look forward to the camaraderie through restaurant suggestions, conversations about AI, and random banter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adutwum said he was “thrilled” to be on campus, and was looking forward to another gig, a soon-to-begin research project on Ulam-like sequences (patterns and rules found in number sequences built from sums) with Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics Senia Sheydvasser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote:<\/strong> \u201cI am looking forward to an exciting and productive summer!\u201d \u2014 Adutwum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018It made me think of my own position and privileges in the context of a bigger community\u2019 \u2014 Ganga Corsaro \u201926<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The place<\/strong>: St. Mary\u2019s Nutrition Center in Lewiston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: As Purposeful Work interns, Corsaro, a double major in environmental studies and Chinese from St. Paul, Minn., and Haley Wilkins \u201925, an American Studies major from Hoboken, N.J., saw and supported the growth of 10 local community gardens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ganga Corsaro \u201926 (left) and Haley Wilkins \u201925 had Purposeful Work internships at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center in Lewiston. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They mulched, weeded, cleared, and created garden beds; provided community gardeners with seeds and seedlings; handled food deliveries for the Nutrition Center\u2019s food pantry; and supported youth programs at Geiger and Montello elementary schools and at Hillview Resource Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Wilkins, the internship revealed the importance of community and place to her own purposeful work. She also valued how the Nutrition Center constantly adapts to \u201cnew needs and circumstances with collaborative brainstorming.\u201d Corsaro learned that her own purposeful work will need to be \u201cproactive and intentional \u2014 actively contributing in ways that reflect who you are and what you stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience deepened Corsaro’s appreciation of her adopted hometown of Lewiston. \u201cThe community\u2019s diversity and strength, and the work people are doing to improve their own lives and the community as a whole, really surprised me.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote<\/strong>: \u201cIt sounds simple to some, but witnessing seeds growing and producing food has been more exciting and rewarding than I expected.\u201d \u2014 Wilkins<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Corsaro (left) and Wilkins both gained a deeper appreciation for Lewiston community during their Purposeful Work internships with St. Mary’s Nutrition Center. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018It\u2019s very beautiful, and obviously different from fall or winter\u2019 \u2014 Harris Ramlee \u201925<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The place<\/strong>: Bonney Science Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job<\/strong>: Ramlee, a biology major from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, spent his summer on campus working as a technician in the college\u2019s vivarium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Harris Ramlee \u201925 poses with his friend Paul Zhou \u201925 of Beijing on July 30, 2024. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In his downtime, Ramlee enjoyed strolling around campus, soaking in the summer weather \u2014 his first summer spent in the U.S. His friend Paul Zhou \u201925, a psychology major from Beijing, agrees with the weather assessment. In winter, there\u2019s snow and less light, but \u201cin the summer, it looks absolutely beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramlee has also taken time to explore Maine, hiking and visiting the beach. \u201cIt\u2019s very, very amazing,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quote<\/strong>: \u201cThe campus looks absolutely beautiful.\u201d \u2014 Zhou<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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