Ann Arbor Times

Junior Kimberly Waldroop, an Environmental Science and Society major at Eastern Michigan University (EMU), spent her summer interning at the Bird Center of Michigan (BCM), a nonprofit organization focused on rehabilitating injured and orphaned birds across the state. Her responsibilities included distributing food, providing medicine, performing physical exams, and managing intake for new arrivals. Waldroop described her experience as challenging but rewarding.

“Every day was different, every day was unpredictable—you never know. A bird could be fine one minute, and the next, you go to check on them and it’s all over the place,” Waldroop said. “It was a lot, for sure. Seven hours go by pretty quickly there.”

During her time at BCM, Waldroop gained hands-on experience with various bird species and participated in releasing several back into their natural habitat. “I released a robin, grackle, and red-bellied woodpecker,” she explained. “I also dropped off a goldfinch in a park near downtown Ypsilanti, not far from the Honors College.”

Waldroop found that the internship offered flexible scheduling options for part-time or full-time positions. “Intern positions are either part-time or full-time. I did part-time, which is 3 days a week for 7 hours a day, while full-time is five days a week for seven hours a day,” she stated. “If there was a day you couldn’t come in, there was always someone to cover a shift for you.” Although her internship officially ended in August 2025, she continues to volunteer at BCM.

The experience provided Waldroop with practical skills relevant to wildlife conservation while helping her develop interpersonal abilities through public interaction regarding animal care. She reflected on her learning process: “I’ve never had a hands-on experience like this before—it was completely new to me,” she said. “I didn’t know much about birds at first, but the whole point of the internship was to learn. [The BCM] really likes people who don’t have experience—they want to give them that experience. It all worked out really nicely for me–being so early on in my education.”

Waldroop also emphasized communication as an important aspect of her role: “I’ve had many different reactions from people dropping off injured birds,” she stated. “Every story is different, and it really teaches you how to meet someone’s needs.”

She encouraged fellow students interested in internships not to be discouraged by setbacks during their search process: “You have to keep going, keep applying,” she says. “If you let one ‘no’ stop you, you’re not going to get an internship. There’s always going to be a ‘yes’ in a sea of ‘no’s.’” She added that even internships outside one's preferred field can offer valuable lessons: “You can still say in the end, ‘I didn’t really like that, so let’s not make it my job in the future.’ It’s just a good learning experience.”

Eastern Michigan University offers more than 300 majors and programs across multiple colleges and serves over 12,000 students statewide. The university emphasizes career readiness through hands-on learning opportunities like internships.

For more information about EMU programs or news updates, visit EMU Today.