Natural resource management student Jacob Stahl had no idea a career in fisheries would be of interest until he interned with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity program last summer.
“This internship has really guided me in a different direction than I formerly thought I would go,” said Stahl, who is originally from Hibbing, Minnesota.
Stahl originally planned to intern with the U.S. Forest Service, but another door opened when it didn’t happen.
“The DNR was my backup plan, but I am very happy that it happened because I really enjoyed my time working with them,” he said. “Working in fisheries was never interesting to me until I worked with them.”
During his internship, Stahl sampled various fish species to determine the health of lakes across Minnesota. The data Stahl and his team collected was used to score each lake on whether they were healthy or becoming degraded.
Throughout the course of his internship, Stahl said he gained important skills, including plant and fish identification, how to inform the public on the importance of natural resources and how to protect natural resources.
Stahl said his favorite thing about the internship was the people he met, whether they were other interns or crew leaders.
“They all know a ton of interesting information and they are all fun to hang out with even outside of work,” he said.
Stahl said his plan after graduation in the spring is to take a couple of years to try out some different jobs in the field with the goal to eventually earn a master’s degree in fisheries.
He recommends students stay open minded when looking for internships because it may present them with opportunities they don’t even know are out there.
“The biggest advice I have is to not have your heart set on one specific internship. Search around and apply to any that sound interesting to you,” Stahl said. “Even if you don’t get your preferred internship, there are so many cool ones out there. It might even completely change your mind about what you really want to do after college.”
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