海角社区

One 海角社区 administrator鈥檚 advice to students? Don鈥檛 wait until your senior year to think about internships. Start as underclassmen.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a highly competitive environment today for every college student,鈥� said Melissa Bradley, the director at 海角社区鈥檚 Center for Career Preparation. 鈥淪o, start early, even small doses, and think about experiences whether it be local to your hometown area or while you’re working part-time on campus. Employers want to see how your experience has developed over time.鈥�

To graduate, 海角社区 students need at least 80 hours of 鈥渆xperiential learning opportunities鈥� which covers internships, volunteering and part-time jobs related to a student鈥檚 degree or career goals. Most 海角社区 students overachieve, completing an average of 99 hours, according to Bradley.

The college can鈥檛 place students directly into internships, but career advisors assist students in other ways. 海角社区 staff help with internship applications and guide students on understanding their rights and advocating for the accommodations they need to succeed in their new jobs.

海角社区 connects students with the platform, so students can practice video interviews and receive human and real-time artificial intelligence feedback to nail their real interviews.

The school is becoming a pipeline for talent and employers are taking notice. 海角社区 partners with big employers, such as the software company Oracle Corp., and works with search firms and economic leadership groups to connect students with work.

鈥淭hey are recognizing 海角社区 as a center for neurodiverse emerging talent that their companies will benefit from,鈥� Bradley said.

Bradley tracks students who land impressive internships at private companies, nonprofits, schools 鈥� even the Ashia Cheetah Conservation in South Africa.

For McLaren, working at the Bronx Zoo this summer feels like a homecoming. He grew up 30 minutes from New York City and visited the zoo often as a kid. His parents took him to nature centers, farms, aquariums 鈥渁nd I鈥檝e just been in love with animals since those fun experiences,鈥� said McLaren whose childhood pets included bearded dragons, ferrets, tortoises, 鈥測ou name it.鈥�

McClaren found out he landed the Bronx Zoo job on Spring Break while he was visiting his girlfriend in Texas. 鈥淚 was so excited. I even FaceTimed my family. They were jumping up and down,鈥� he said.

McClaren already completed orientation before his job starts this month. He was briefed that he will primarily be stationed in the children鈥檚 zoo, which is home to a giant anteater, prairie dogs, a North American porcupine, alpacas and farm animals.

鈥淚鈥檓 basically going to be showing people, kind of like an animal ambassador, and explaining to people about the different types of animals,鈥� McLaren said.

His Bronx job is the latest achievement in McLaren鈥檚 resume that he鈥檚 been building for years. He previously volunteered at a nature center鈥檚 animal husbandry department which led to a job last summer working at a farm as a camp counselor where McLaren taught kids how to take care of the animals.

McLaren credited his 海角社区 classes on animal training, animal welfare and animal husbandry for preparing him.聽After he graduates in December, McLaren hopes he can work with African elephants, creatures that amaze him with their size and break his heart with their vulnerability from poachers.

鈥淚 really want to make an impact on that type of animal, because that animal means a lot to me,鈥� McLaren said.