Author: emmyemm

Reaching Outside: My Internship Time with CSI Outreach

About Me

Hi! My name is Emmy Trivette, I’m a junior at UNC Chapel Hill. For the last two years of my degree I’ve been studying journalism, but because nature’s always called to me in more ways than one, I took on a second major in Environmental Studies in the spring. I grew up in Kitty Hawk, and after moving back for this field experience, I soon realized how many of my memories – swimming in the Albemarle Sound on Christmas or bodysurfing through many autumns in the ocean – were distinctly coasted by a childhood on the beach. When I jumped into the field site here at the Coastal Studies Institute, I felt entirely like a fish out of water, despite having grown up on the Outer Banks. 

The classes were science, my peers seemed steeped in scientific experience, and even my internship revolved entirely around science. As intimidating as it was, it was exactly what I signed up for: complete, shocking immersion. While I could still hang tightly to that familiar thread of journalism, even then I found myself constantly being pushed to practice my photography skills by CSI’s Outreach Director, John McCord, and hone my digestibility of scientific papers.  

Outreach Intern

My internship with the CSI Outreach Department was a deeper look as to how a communications department for a research lab functions. At the beginning of the semester my mentor John and I set several goals and deliverables for myself. Those included several articles, continuous photo documentation of the Outer Banks Field Site work, and a photo story.  I’ve furthered my Lightroom editing skills, quickened my workflow, and most importantly, practiced my writing and photography skills almost waist-deep in a research environment.  I did some of my best work and greatest mistakes as an Outreach Intern, but I’m sure there’s some great quote floating in the info-sphere about how that’s the way you learn – which is true. 

Future Aspirations

After I leave the field site, and even after I drive a half hour back to Kitty Hawk to stay with my parents for winter break, I’ll head to Thailand for another semester abroad from Chapel Hill.  Even after that I have only another year until I graduate, which is a terrifying thought. Despite that fear, which will probably hold fast beyond my graduation, this internship has allowed me to pursue my interest in photography further, and confirm that my comfort spot is in fact storytelling, and regardless of the challenges, I want to be in the game of environmental storytelling. In what form that will take as a career, I have no idea. With that said, I’m beyond excited to take these revelations with a still-open-mind as I head further into the working-world.

 

Coastal Seminar, Intro to OBXFS

By Emmy Trivette

Every student has difficulty readjusting to the familiar hum of the school year after saying another goodbye to summer. It’s hard to feel that way when you’re starting the next semester at the beach. For me, someone who grew up in Kitty Hawk, it’s a new-age homecoming. Our first week here has certainly been very different from the FWOC (first week of classes) most of our friends are having back in Chapel Hill.

Arriving in the harbor of Wanchese on our second day of class. We’re pretty lucky that it was a boat tour and not a pop quiz.

So far our time has solely been used to adjust and orient ourselves with the land and the schedule. We’ve toured around Manteo, and visited the Tri-Villages of the South, all too familiar parts of my childhood. The most interesting part of the week has been the CSI facility. Touring that, getting used to the idea that this is now our classroom and office, that the professionals throughout the complex all have something to teach us. The team dynamic exercises were also much more useful than I thought they would be. So far, the program’s emphasis on, and application to scientific theory behind teamwork is great. I underestimated how much I’d like this style. By quickly learning our way around each other at home and in the classroom, the atmosphere has begun on a high note. The comfortable tone feels like it’s pulling us up from that usually bumpy transition, and into the beginning of a different school year.