The Missouri Department of Natural Resource's internship program is designed to provide college students or recent graduates with real-life experience working alongside the department’s engineers, scientists, natural resource managers and other professionals. See what some of our past interns have shared about their experience.
Brooke Anich
I enjoyed this internship because every day was a new adventure for me. Whether I was working in the office or out in the field, every day felt exciting. I enjoyed talking to the public about monthly bacterial samples and investigating positive samples to try and solve real issues. This internship felt rewarding. I also enjoyed riding along for inspections and helping write the reports. I am so grateful that I had an amazing mentor, who helped me with all my questions, and wanted me to experience everything that I could while working with DNR this summer.
Caleb Cooke
The best part about my internship was how welcoming and engaging the team of engineers in the Dam and Reservoir Safety Program has been. I was able to be part of the surveys and document the dams we visited, as well as perform some simple level GPS surveys. Midway through the summer I had a prescheduled trip to Ecuador with Engineers Without Borders (EWB), to gather data on a potentially new partner community’s water system. Because of the experience that I got [through the internship] before that trip, through a combination of field work, file management practice, critical thinking, and conversations with the engineers around the office, I was more prepared than ever to meet my goals for the trip. My internship helped reinforce the team and goal focused mindset that helped me be confident with the work that I did in Ecuador. Being able to integrate my work in Missouri with my work overseas was very rewarding. I would recommend this internship to other students because there is as much an opportunity to gain practical soft and hard engineering skills within the stated job responsibilities as there is to take the initiative to expand on those responsibilities, and the work environment is accommodating to both.
Jacob Creed
The Dam and Reservoir Safety Program has an amazing team and leadership. I had the opportunity to learn about and get involved with any kind of their work that I had interest in. Through this, I gained a lot of valuable transferable experience. I learned a variety of programs including GIS and DSS-WISE, a dam breach simulator. I inspected dams, wrote reports, participated in meetings, conducted file deep-dives. Because of how involved I was able to become, it has given me a lot of confidence to carry forward into my future career.
Morgan Farris
This summer was very impactful for me professionally and personally. I enjoyed being able to go out on my own and conduct [scrap tire collection center] inspections. I liked being able to help the Land Unit reach their inspection goals. The most rewarding thing about working with the Northeast Regional Office was being able to form relationships with people in the office. I have formed several professional relationships that will benefit me in my future career. I would recommend this internship to other students because it helped me get a better idea of what I wanted to do with my future career. It also helps you get your foot in the door, which will help you get the job of your dreams! The department provides you with the resources that you need and allows you to do independent work, but they also are there to provide you with any feedback, because they want what is best for you! Students, there is a spot for you within the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Even if at first you don't get your ideal position, you can always work your way up to achieve it.
James Meyer
I was able to explore different labs and experience the different kinds of testing done at the Environmental Services Program labs. I was also able to learn how to use different instruments commonly used not just in our labs, but across all labs. Everyone I have interacted with here has been very kind and supportive of my efforts to learn more about this field. I was able to move to different labs besides the one I was set to at the beginning of the internship. In addition to getting experience with the tasks you applied for, you will have the opportunity to explore the area you work in and hone in on what you like there. My supervisors encouraged me to work with other sections or labs if I was interested. It has been very helpful in showing me the many different options in my field.
John Westfall
My internship was an enjoyable experience that gave me the opportunity to learn and experience things with a capable team of attorneys. It was a big shift from the academic practices of school to the actual practice and issues of real cases and situations. I think I've learned a lot about environmental law and how it functions in Missouri.