Internship
Lions Tigers and Bears
This January I have the privilege to intern with a non-profitable organization call, Lions Tigers and Bears. Lions Tigers and Bears purpose according to Bobbi Brink (Founder) "to animals born in captivity and fated to be ignored and abused, I've dedicated this organization.” On this one month experience I will be taking care of the animals example being, preparing their meals, cleaning them, and observing their behaviors, and building a Tiger's Den. We will also be making an ad for others to know about this great organization. So whatever the day calls we are ready to face it!
February 2nd 2017
My internship project was just me making memes about the animals living at the sanctuary and a video tutorial for the future volunteers of Lions Tigers and Bears. Something that went well was that it was really simple yet fun to make, multimedia had taught me how to edit and Photoshop pictures and videos and I finally get to use it. It was good to see my mentor enjoying and laughing at the memes I made as well as impress by it and the tutorial video. But, something that I would do different is finishing it sooner, so I didn't have to stress about it the week leading up to IPOL.
February 1st 2017
Some advice I would give to our sophomores going into internship is doing something you love and passionate about while at the same time doing something fascinating and fun. To me don't just sit around on a desk and just doing repetitive activities, but do something that you can get off your feet and move around, unless you like to sit around a desk all day that's fine too. For internship you would need 3 important traits, this is hard working, social and well prepared. Speaking about well prepared, think about what internship before hand and if you can contact them, so you won't have to stress the week before internship and just relax.
January 31st 2017
To be honest, internship didn't really change any decisions I was or am going to make about college, path, career and etc. But, the one thing I have decided is that I don't want to go into a career that has to do with manual labor. This is internship to me is again about trying new things and having fun while learning about what the real job is about. Overall, this internship to me is about the experience not about career path.
January 30th 2017
Something I am thankful for? There are may things to list, but my favorite it to see all of these exotic animals roaming around the sanctuary, so whenever I'm done with my task or just bored I can go look at these animals. Another is of course my co-workers they are so nice and friendly, they are so down to earth it they make internship more fun. Not only that I'm thankful for Hannah and Dash they are the reason for me arriving at internship because we carpool.
January 26th 2017
If I'm completely honest this internship has taught me manual labor isn't my thing and also it didn't really change any direction of my life, this internship to me is about doing something different and fun as well. The quality I have improved is my work ethic and the work load has became increasingly easier to me than before. Seeing my co-workers worked so hard is also something I admire, they taught me a great lesson, it is to get a career/job that you are passionate about not just about the wealth. A volunteer once told me "you don't do this job to get rich" and that had stuck to my mind this entire internship.
Video: The Tour Visit
January 25th 2017
I am going to be presenting my IPOL the first Monday we come back from internship due to the circumstance that my advisory can't make the trip to Alpine. As a result the first Monday I return to school from internship I am going to present to my advisory. I am excited to showcase what I am done, witness, and experience through this whole month of internship. The tool that I will be using is Google slides and I will be relying on me memorizing what I'm going to talk about, as well as using a note card just in case I stumble during the presentation. I have an idea of what questions that will be asked by my fellow audience, it's going to be about the animals, the workplace and what I've done and I am prepared to answer it. This internship my fellow co-workers has taught me to get a job you're passionate about, not just for the money.
January 24th 2017
Communication is a very very important role in my internship, because there aren't many workers/volunteers and there are many unfinished tasks each day, so we need to worker together. Not only that we all try our best to lend a hand to finish up the task faster and make it easier for our co-workers. Everyday we would talk to our mentor this is because she's the boss and she assign us our jobs, not only that she also check up on us to see if we started our project, are we having trouble and etc. This has teach me a good lesson, communication makes the working load easier, faster and more fun.
Video: The office today, kind of loud because everyone is in the office because it's cold
January 23rd 2017
I have been at internship for more than a week now and I can it has been easier to deal with than at the beginning of this entire internship. This is because I've been more prepared when it comes to dressing warmer, bring lunch, and labor since I have a good understanding of what to do. Now project wise I am still a little stuck, I have a few really good ideas and I am still going to make a video tutorials on how to make bear food, clean up the minnies for the future interns of Lions Tigers and Bears, but I also want to make memes to expose L.T.B socially. During this entire internship I can honestly say I have improve physically in just being a harder worker!
January 20th 2017
There are many many differences between internship and school, first of all the first thing that popped into my mind is the manual labor. At school they don't ask you to clean the minnies, chickens habitat. prepare food for the animals, mop the floors and etc. But, there are still a couple of similarities like a boss/teacher assigning you tasks and how everyone socialize, we are very open and always ready to lend a hand if needed. Conveniently this internship has opened my eyes, I don't want a job that has to do with manual labor because I don't really enjoy it. On the contrary this will improve my work ethics at school and make me a better student.
Video: The weather of today
January 19th 2017
A lesson I learned is that you shouldn't be lazy so, finish your work and don't procrastinate or you will get fired or in our case get a bad grade. In my past posts I talked about how my work ethics has improved and how I started to finish and work on more task than just being lazy. This is a really good trait to improve because the improvement can also benefit academically, which can result to me getting a better grade in classes like honors.
January 18th 2017
There are many many challenges at my school and I would say the 2 main I faced are the countless tasks we need to finish and the whether. The countless task because everyday we will be having something to do, either washing dishes or preparing their dishes because the animals wont stop eating and cleaning up their mess because the animal won't stop pooping. Also, sometimes there isn't enough volunteers or worker to finish the tasks we would have to stay for an extra hour or two to finish. Now, the whether here is gruesome, we are 3000 feet above elevation so it is also cold, I have to wear 4 layers of clothing and I'm still shivering. It has rain so much up here and also the forecast is predicting snow somewhere this week or next week.
January 17th 2017
Joshua Floyd:
I thought Josh's internship sounds really cool and really convenient because if his car breaks down he would know what to do. I also thought it was cool how he is building a BMW motor because that sounds awesome and the money they are making sounds better. But, I wonder how he keep himself company being around cars all day?
Cameron Truong:
It was really different seeing the place and what Cameron did through his posts and pictures he posted. If I'm honest I didn't even have a clue on what Civil Engineer is and still wondering that right now. But seeing the work place Cam is in and mine it is really different, Cam is in a cubical while I am either outside most of the time or in the feed room preparing food and washing dishes.
Marlene Lopez:
It is good to see that Marlene is enjoying what she is doing considering soccer is her passion. After reading her blog post it seems like a lot of working running a soccer team, doing paper works and etc, while also throw in a little manual labor which is cleaning the HTH vans.
I thought Josh's internship sounds really cool and really convenient because if his car breaks down he would know what to do. I also thought it was cool how he is building a BMW motor because that sounds awesome and the money they are making sounds better. But, I wonder how he keep himself company being around cars all day?
Cameron Truong:
It was really different seeing the place and what Cameron did through his posts and pictures he posted. If I'm honest I didn't even have a clue on what Civil Engineer is and still wondering that right now. But seeing the work place Cam is in and mine it is really different, Cam is in a cubical while I am either outside most of the time or in the feed room preparing food and washing dishes.
Marlene Lopez:
It is good to see that Marlene is enjoying what she is doing considering soccer is her passion. After reading her blog post it seems like a lot of working running a soccer team, doing paper works and etc, while also throw in a little manual labor which is cleaning the HTH vans.
Video: Sound of the office today = Quiet
January 13th 2017
My internship had changed my whole perspective on working, this is because its a lot more harder than I have ever expected. I have been doing a lot of dishes, computer waivers, cleaning the habitats, guiding tours and much more. I was a lazy kid coming into internship and I can say my work ethic has improve. For the whole 6-7 hours of internship it is all work for me and oddly it is more manageable for me because I gotten so used to it. In general this internship has improved my work ethic and made me a harder worker in fact.
Video: Bikari the Lion Roaring signaling he's the top cat around here
January 12th 2017
The social dynamic in Lions Tigers and Bears are really diverse, this is because there are many jobs and task to finish, as a result there are some jobs where you would have to communicate with others while some you don't. Some example are if you are preparing food for the animals or even cleaning particular places on the facilities you can either have assistance or you do it on your own. However, some jobs it is mandatory to socialize for example, tour guides which is giving our tours to visitors, in that case you would have to socialize. Overall I do think socializing is key and the workplace does encourage it which is great because a lot of things gets done. Talking about workplace there is a office where a lot paperwork get done but, I would say we spend most of our time outside cleaning, raking, preparing food and etc.
January 11th 2017
During my internship the one thing me and my friend Dash and Hannah have spend countless time brainstorming project ideas that can really benefit Lions Tigers and Bears. But, to be honest we are still indecisive on whether to do one or the other. The 3 project we have in mind are creating calenders, make mini biography videos on the sanctuary and post it on social media, and lastly building ramps for the Tigers. Personally I am leaning on making YouTube videos since we had a lot of experience shooting and editing videos from our Multimedia class last year. This will takes a lot of creativity and persistent to take good shots of the animals and making the videos enjoyable. This is really beneficial to L.T.B because it spreads the words and educate as well as expose the place to others who doesn't have a clue what L.T.B is. These videos will be up on the Lions Tigers and Bears YouTube page and will look amazing.
Video: The weather right now
January 10th 2017
Who benefit from the organization? That is the question for today, easily the animals because Lions Tigers and Bears are dedicated to rescued exotic animals from exotic pet trades, sanctuary that abused the animals for fur, urine, and etc. Not only are they being rescued they are also living and eating like kings and queens. I can vouch for this, reason being I prepare their meals and seen their meals. They get a wide variety of meats (ham, chicken, beef, fish), veggies, nuts and special treats, like peanut butter and honey or jelly sandwiches. But, the animals aren't the only one that benefit the workers and volunteer benefit as well. Workers because they love animals and to be able to work and get paid is a win win. Volunteers we get the joy of doing a good thing, not only that we get to experience seeing these exotic animals up close and it's amazing.
January 9th 2017
Co-Worker
This past week I would say I spend the most time working with is, Angie Good. She is the Book Keeping Accountant for Lions Tigers and Bears which mean she keeps track of all the deposit, pay all the bills, and keep everything running smooth financial wise. Before Angie was the Accountant for Lions Tigers and Bears she was also an Accountant for a construction company for 13 years. Angie is more than qualify for the position because she got a 2 year degree from UCSD. To Angie it's really rewarding working at Lions Tigers and Bears because she loves working with animals and loves being an Accountant so, you can say she is killing two birds with one stone. Being an Accountant isn't her only job, in fact she own a farm where she grows mushroom and that is her ideal lifelong job. So, she is set for life!
January 6th 2017
Going into Lions Tigers and Bears I expected to see many different kind of exotic animals, but what caught me off guard was one specific animal. When I arrived all I think I would encountered are lions, tigers, or bears however, there are many fascinating animals like the bobcats, donkey, and even a peacock that was there as well. Despite that, one animal that was there that got me jumpy and excited and it was a BLACK LEOPARD (aka Black Panther)! His name was Shadow, he was unfortunately in quarantine so no one was able to see this creature besides workers or volunteer. Shadow was actually a rescued a month before we started our internship. He was rescued from a closed down sanctuary in South Dakota, and he was in perfect health he was even overweight in fact. When I got to see it up close he was a beautiful creature and oddly had a really nice personality, it never once growled at me. I'm going to miss seeing him if he does leave one day since there isn't enough capacity to keep him. Love ya Shadow!
January 5th 2017
“To animals born in captivity and fated to be ignored and abused, I've dedicated this organization.” This quote comes directly from the founder Bobbi Brink, she vows to rescue exotic animals who are abused by the exotic pet trades, breeding, for their fur, urine and etc. Bobbi have received threats, traveled many miles while facing many lawsuits retrieved and nurture them back to their normal state before their tragedies.
Now in Alyssa, my mentors word, "our mission is to provide a forever home for abused, abandoned and unwanted exotics animals that would otherwise face a terrible future and to educate the public about the presence of the exotic animal trade. " Provide a home and a safe environment are the perfect words to describe the organization. All the donations that are given or made will go to the food, restructuring, and building more homes for the unfortunate animals.
Now in Alyssa, my mentors word, "our mission is to provide a forever home for abused, abandoned and unwanted exotics animals that would otherwise face a terrible future and to educate the public about the presence of the exotic animal trade. " Provide a home and a safe environment are the perfect words to describe the organization. All the donations that are given or made will go to the food, restructuring, and building more homes for the unfortunate animals.
January 4th 2017
Alyssa Cantwell, remember the name she will be appearing in these blogs a lot due to the fact she is my mentor for this internship. She has a love for animals that no one else can duplicate, she's been a volunteer at Lions Tigers and Bear for years. Not only that she had even worked at the San Diego Zoo so, she knows a thing or two about rescuing endangered species. Alyssa also graduated from USD (University of San Diego) with a Biology Degree which means she's very intelligent and hard working. Now back to her role at Lions Tigers and Bears, she is pretty much the person in charge when Bobbi (founder) isn't around, she in charge of volunteering and much more. Now her next role is showing us the ropes! I'm exciting for this internship.
January 3rd 2017
For internship I have the chance to work and study the indigenous Lions Tigers and Bears. I hope to learn responsibility on the job as well as improving my people skills by giving out tours. But, I am afraid of messing up my jobs for many reasons and the scariest is getting bitten by the animals. I love what the organization is doing, providing a shelter and food for these animals that have been through rough times. I know I will be doing a lot of manual labor, although the experience will be worth it! I can't wait for my internship to start tomorrow.
Site Visit
Today was the first day we stepped foot in Lions Tigers and Bears, but the difference was today we spent our days as a visitor not an Intern just yet. The experience was just phenomenal, to witness such a beautiful sight and all this big scary animals are just friendly creatures. Seeing them up close is just magnificent, but watching them eat and "mark their territory" are gnarly. To hear some of the rescue stories and how much these animals went through was heartbreaking as well as satisfying to see them in great homes now. One story that struck me was a Bobcat that was abuse so much for his urine that every-time a human presence is near he start shake uncontrollably and just urinate himself. Another fascinating story was Maverick the Tigers, sounds familiar? Well, he was actually previously owned by the famous rapper Tyga, he had photos posing with Maverick on Instagram and was caught on because it was illegal to keep tigers as pets in the state of California. Tyga actually went to court to fight for Maverick, he of course lost so custody of Maverick went to Lions Tigers and Bears. After the wonderful tour we had the chance to talk to our mentor Alyssa, we interview her about her position and information about our internship and etc. It was a great conversation, I learned what I will be doing during the 1 month span, and what is expected of me. So overall it was a great day!