Summer Internships: Opiod Epidemic and ALCOSAN

Opioid Breakthrough

Kanye West, Nicole Richie, Eminem, and Kelly Osburne. These are just a few of the big names whose lives were affected by opioids. For every big name affected, there is at least one civilian whose story may never reach the light. Our interns researching opioids have had the opportunity to uncover these stories and more this summer.

While investigating the opioid epidemic, interns have been gaining exposure to the national conversation on opioid use. Although the media coverage around opioids is primarily focused on overdoses, information on survivors and people who recover from opioid use is rare. Student workers here are investigating the stories of individuals who have abused opioids, as well as individuals who work to reduce the amount of people risking opioid overdose.

Our interns working will be trained as documentarians and keep the stories of people affected in some way by opioids, whether it be positive or negative. Students will culminate their research throughout the summer and showcase their results at an event before they complete the program.

ALCOSAN

Interns working at ALCOSAN are spread out, but they all have important jobs for the organization. The different jobs that are being occupied by our interns are in Communications and Industrial Waste.

Communications interns are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the rules and regulations of the Communications Department. They are responsible for sharing information out of callers and representing ALCOSAN at community events, as well as coordinating the messages from departments within ALCOSAN.

Industrial Waste Interns are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the rules and regulations of the Industrial Waste Department. They are intertwined with college interns and ALCOSAN workers. Attending meetings and providing input are two opportunities our interns experienced.

This group of interns assist with ALCOSAN’s services and program. They aren’t just given “filler” work either. All our interns’ jobs impact the company. After this experience, interns are expected to have improved their leadership skills and relationship-building.