Working with alligators and turtles. Cleaning animal enclosures. Scrubbing aquariums. It was all in a day’s work for Sarah Mayberry ’20, whose passion for animals led her to an internship at the Nature Center at Maymont in Richmond, Virginia. Maymont, a 100-acre public park, houses a museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and a children’s farm.

Faculty Connections
Randolph-Macon College students discover that learning happens both in and out of the classroom. Students benefit from dedicated faculty who mentor them and encourage them to delve into new experiences—including internships. Biology Professor Nicholas Ruppel worked with staff from RMC’s EDGE Career Center to arrange an internship that was tailor-made for Mayberry.

“More and more, our students are starting to see the value an internship provides,” says Ruppel. “The experience truly gives them in-depth, firsthand exposure to a career field that goes beyond what they can gain in our classrooms. We have numerous partnerships in the greater Richmond area and beyond, many established through the help of our wonderful EDGE program, that help meet the needs and interests of our students. When Sarah approached me last fall, I knew that Maymont, which has previously hosted several RMC student interns, would align well with her career goals.”

The Nature Center
The Nature Center at Maymont holds nearly 30,000 gallons of aquaria that showcase many of the animals that inhabit the waters and land of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. Under the guidance of Maymont aquarist Delaney Sheire ’16, Mayberry, a biology major and music minor, siphoned aquariums, prepared diets for a wide variety of animals—including raptors, turtles, and alligators—and assisted with outreach programs.  

Care and Feeding
Mayberry started each day by cleaning the animals’ tanks and preparing their food.

“We used charts to help us determine what—and how much—to feed each animal,” explains Mayberry. “Certain animals—such as an African crow named Ginny, and the alligators, participate in training activities,” which affects how they are fed.  

Animals are trained to exhibit certain behaviors using positive reinforcement. “Meaning they get something they like (food!) for doing something we ask,” explains Sheire. “Animal training is extremely important to the care of animals living in zoos and aquariums.” Most of the training is used to assist in the daily care—also known as husbandry—of the animal, such as veterinary exams and weight measurements.

Enrichment and Design
Mayberry also had the opportunity to create three enrichment proposals—a task that put her critical-thinking skills to good use.

“Enrichment is used to help the animals’ mental health; it can include toys or a variation in food, or it can be something that mimics their natural habitat, like a particular sound or object,” she explains. “I was asked to create an enrichment idea for one fish, one bird and one mammal of my choosing. For the mammal, I decided to focus on donkeys. They are very intelligent animals that require mental stimulation, and, after some research, I landed on making an obstacle course out of logs.”

Yellow Jacket Mentorship
Delaney Sheire ’16, who majored in biology and environmental studies, interned at Maymont during her senior year and started working there three months after graduation.

As an aquarist, she cares for the Nature Center’s collection of fish, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals, and, in her role as internship supervisor, she trained Mayberry on the skills that are essential for animal-care professionals.

“Sarah was responsible for learning and adhering to protocols for cleaning, feeding and observing animals,” says Sheire. “Training includes proper sanitation, handling of approved animals, life-support systems overview, and emergency protocols. Much of her time was spent learning trade-specific skills. She also observed vet rounds and animal-training sessions.”

Sheire says she loved mentoring a fellow Yellow Jacket.

“Being able to gab about RMC and our favorite classes or professors made for fun conversation and gave us the opportunity to connect,” she says.  

A Unique Experience
One of the benefits of Mayberry’s internship is that “she got to see the ups and downs we face as a team and helped us work out issues we encountered along the way,” says Sheire. “Problem-solving skills are important in any workplace, and Sarah got firsthand experience with that. Also, this isn’t a field many people get to experience. Animal care—specifically, exotic animal care in zoos and aquariums—is very niche. I believe that having this unique experience on her résumé will give Sarah an advantage in interviews and networking opportunities.” 

A Better Perspective
Mayberry’s month at Maymont “gave me a better perspective on what kind of career I might want,” she says. “Before I began my internship, I thought I wanted to focus my career on research. I now want to work more closely with animals, but maybe also do research at some point.”

RMC Internships
J-term internships offer a real-world setting for connecting academic learning with the workplace. Dedicated faculty and staff from the EDGE Career Center assist students in finding the perfect internship opportunity. RMC’s Bassett Internship program offers academic credit and connects students with tailor-made internships to explore a wide range of career fields in various locations. Students can also choose from a variety of paid or volunteer internship opportunities.