The Sierra Club

Name: Nicole Tabit

Specialization: Parks and Recreation

Internship: Sierra Club Clean Water Campaign

What is this internship like?

For this internship, there is a wide variety of tasks that I do. Over the summer, I created a children's outdoor education program and went to Columbus' summer parks programs to go creeking with campers and teach them about clean water issues. We also went to several local festivals and events to raise awareness about water issues, such as ComFest and the Earth Day event at the Columbus Commons. A lot of our summer work involved area clean ups as well. We remove honey suckle and other invasives from the Ohio State Wetlands and by the Olentangy River, as well as cleaning up local communities to keep the environment clean and productive!

During the school year, I set up several campus involvement events to connect Ohio State students with water issues. One fun event we set up was a film festival at the Gateway Theater, with several short films about environmental issues for everyone to see. I also worked on an 'eliminate the plastic bag' political campaign over the last year, which we have taken to the City Council to ask them to take action on plastic bag usage in Columbus.

How was this internship found?

I met a previous intern for the Sierra Club at a street festival, and talked with her there, but reconnected at the SENR Career Expo the next winter. Go to the expo! There are plenty of companies there to network with, and learn about if you aren't sure if it is the right fit for you. 

How has this internship affected your career goals?

Since the work at the Sierra Club is so diverse, I've gotten to experience all of the parts that come with working at a grassroots non-profit. Over my time there, I have learned that I am more interested in working with people at events, or especially the outdoor education programs rather than the political activism side of the organization.

What is the best part of the internship?

I've enjoyed working with the members of my local community through the Sierra Club. While I have learned that non-profit is not the perfect fit for me, I have loved parts of it, which inspired me to take a new direction with my intended career path, and work more with enviro nmental education. The parks and recreation camps I worked with over the summer have been one of the highlights of this internship.

Nicole as the "Bag Monster," the Sierra Club's Clean Water Mascot at the Columbus Commons Earth Day event in 2016.

Learn more about Internship Opportunities in SENR