Internship Impact Stories

IRD Internships

The following two internships were possible due to the collaboration of San Juan College, the Center for Student Success Careers and Employment, and IRD:

"This internship has provided me with the opportunity to explore the operations of a psychologist's office. I gained knowledge in clerical work and worked directly with children and parents in completing assessments. I also worked on reporting processes and procedures as well as inputting notes into a database system. I also learned how to efficiently operate office equipment and gained knowledge of modern office procedures.

This internship was an amazing experience! It will not only look good on my resume but has also expanded my skill set. The internship will serve as a stepping stone to other great opportunities in the future. I have learned a lot from Dr. Roth-Wall as well as the office staff."
- Elaina George, Navajo Nation, Spring 2022

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"The internship at Waste Management was a great opportunity for me to get some hands-on experience in an actual office environment. I was able to shadow the Operations Manager and learn about a variety of tasks that he oversees. This has helped me narrow down my area of interest within the Business Administration field. "
- Ashanti Manuelito, Navajo Nation, Spring 2022

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Emerging Leaders Internship

"The internship opportunity provided by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico (the Chamber) with the support of IRD, was unique. The engagement with the staff of the Chamber throughout the internship provided meaningful dialogue and resulted in an exchange of ideas and knowledge. The tasks and objectives assigned to the interns were directly related to the daily operations and ongoing efforts of the Chamber. Being able to be part of the development, implementation, and execution of things like the contractor training and the monthly Chamber events was rewarding. When interns are able to observe their work translate into a final product, it provides a sense of accomplishment and pride for interns. The Emerging Leaders Internship is on par with others on which I had the pleasure of participating at the tribal, state, and federal level. I believe that AICCNM is a great organization that strives to serve and provide the highest level of service to its members."
-Ariel Aguilar, Mescalero Apache Tribe, Fall 2021

"The internship opportunity provided by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico (the Chamber) with the support of IRD, was unique. The engagement with the staff of the Chamber throughout the internship provided meaningful dialogue and resulted in an exchange of ideas and knowledge. The tasks and objectives assigned to the interns were directly related to the daily operations and ongoing efforts of the Chamber. Being able to be part of the development, implementation, and execution of things like the contractor training and the monthly Chamber events was rewarding. When interns are able to observe their work translate into a final product, it provides a sense of accomplishment and pride for interns. The Emerging Leaders Internship is on par with others on which I had the pleasure of participating at the tribal, state, and federal level. I believe that AICCNM is a great organization that strives to serve and provide the highest level of service to its members."
-Quentin Candelaria, San Felipe Pueblo, Fall 2021

NMSU Cooperative Extension Services

"The most interesting part about my internship was being able to get involve with 4-H events such as district contests. I was able to be a part of 4-H club meetings with McKinley County and I got an opportunity to meet with local club members and their family. It was great to experience of running small projects within club meetings and including Manuelito Children’s home. The only thing I disliked about the internship is its short time frame of experience. The information that I gain about Extension is knowing that it’s a career that educates the community and assists them with any agricultural concerns. In addition, 4-H club in McKinley County is a community that develops personal growth and self-improvement. After this internship, I would consider becoming an extension agent as a career goal of mine. I’m interested in developing more ideas that can be beneficial to my county. During the internship, I’d participated in staff meeting and assisted in small projects with clubs and workshops. I was able to gain more information from an extension agent about day-to-day task and their whole routine. I received a lot of valued opinions about the positions but overall, I was open minded, and I did help a lot in workshops and created more ideas on what to do for future workshops. I learn how to craft ideas, projects and I also learned how to sew. Moreover, I did experience other county events such as Northern Livestock School. It was a great experience to gain this whole summer."
-Shellby Tacheney, McKinley County Cooperative Extension Services, Summer 2021

Roanhorse Consulting, LLC

"This spring I earned my associate degree in accounting, and soon I will start working towards my bachelor’s with a minor in business development. My goal is to open my own business. Because of IRD’s internship at RCLLC, I was able to gain experience, widen my eyes to the business world, and financially support my family."
- Reece Yazzie, Intern at Roanhorse Consulting LLC, Spring 2020

"I’m happy to say that because of IRD, my time during this internship with RCLLC not only did I gain self-assurance and confidence but it helped me to see what I am capable of, what I bring to the table, and what my knowledge and skills are worth.

I’m so excited for the potential doors this will now open up for me in the future!"
- Tiffany Bias, Intern at Roanhorse Consulting LLC, Spring 2020

Jennifer was able to intern for three positions. She performed as a Volunteer Coordinator where she recruited, trained, and coordinated volunteer activities and deliverables for the 2019 Native Women’ Business Summit for Native Women Lead organization. She was a Data Evaluator, where she supported the evaluation team with data collection, entry, and analysis.
Lastly, she was Project Management Support, where she provided administrative support and assisted in organizing operational functions for both profit and non-profit entities.
- Jennifer Lujan, Roanhorse Consulting, LLC, Summer 2019

UNM Chemical Engineering Lab

"Little did I know that catalysts played such an important role in carbon emission. I really enjoy this research because of the big picture, I get to be a part of something that makes our mother Earth a much cleaner place. It amazes me to be researching something that is helping our environment. This experience has helped me to learn a lot more about the fundamentals of chemical engineering and how they apply to real world."
- Mariah Curley, UNM Chemical Engineering Lab, Summer 2019

Axe Engineering, Inc.

"For awhile it has been hard getting internships because I lacked the construction experience but Todd gave me a chance and I was able to learn a lot from him. As of now I am taking a class in cost estimating and I already gained knowledge in that area due to the internship. Not only did I gain experience but I got to network with other construction companies and they gave me advice for the future and told me to apply to their companies when I graduate in the future."
- Dominica Bennett, Axe Engineering, Inc., Summer 2019

“From this experience, I gained more insight about what considerations and planning must be made into a business on the engineering side. Also, I have learned another tool, WordPress, which will benefit me greatly in web development. Additionally, getting the opportunity to research into which cybersecurity software is best for the data transfer and protection of sensitive information for the business.

This was a great experience which I would recommend to others because this program has provided me with a unique perspective in both the engineering and business environment. From this internship program I hope I made a beneficial contribution to Axé Engineering as it has in my professional career.”
- Aaron Eyachabbe, Axe Engineering, Inc., Summer 2021