My name is Rinsai ‘Sha’ Rossetti. I am a Thai-Italian-Canadian who has been living in the United Arab Emirates for the past nine years. At the moment I am studying in Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, in the US. I have always thought that summer is the time when I can do what I feel is really worthwhile, since during summer I am not constrained by studying or work or any of the things that are a part of my everyday life. Last summer, for example, I walked a pilgrimage through Spain. This summer seems like it will be even more exciting: I will be an intern at COTERC, helping with the Large Mammal and Primate Monitoring Program, walking the transects, and also volunteering with other, ongoing projects at the station.

It will be my first time at the Cano Palma Biological Station, so I expect I have a lot to learn. I know it will be hard work; I hope it will be an adventure, and most of all I hope I will be able to make a difference, if only in some small way. Because I have never done this before, I am not one hundred percent certain what to expect, and I probably won’t know for sure until I am actually there. Writing my research proposal has definitely helped to make me feel more prepared, but I think that an internship at COTERC is one of those things that you have to experience for yourself before you can imagine what it is like. I am definitely a little nervous, but mainly excited. As a freshman student, I am delighted that such an incredible opportunity is available to me. I think it will be a much more valuable experience than a lot of the other internships out there, because COTERC gives you the chance to really achieve something and work on your own. There are real problems that have to be solved, and real jobs that have to be done. I can’t wait to get there and make myself useful.

I stumbled across COTERC simply because I searched online and liked what I found. I didn’t have a tip from a friend or anything like that. I am just someone who wanted to help out, and who was immediately given an opportunity. I think this goes to show that COTERC really is open to anyone who has the potential and the initiative. You don’t have to be from a particular background in order to be given consideration. I would encourage other students not to feel intimidated, even if they don’t know anyone at the station, and to take a chance volunteering. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend my summer.

Want to be a volunteer? Review our volunteer package for more information.