Many University of Montevallo students took advantage of their time off this summer to get some hands-on experience in their desired career fields through internships. These valuable opportunities have taken our Falcons around the country, from Birmingham to Washington, D.C., from theatre to construction work. Check out what some UM students have been working on these past few months.
Harper Chassay, DACOR Bacon House Foundation 
This summer, senior Harper Chassay completed an internship at DACOR Bacon House Foundation in Washington, D.C. DACOR (Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired) Bacon House is a historical residence and architectural treasure, and the foundation promotes a public understanding of international affairs and diplomacy through scholarships, lectures, publications, conferences and a museum.
Chassay, a senior majoring in political science with a pre-law minor, got the internship through a scholarship from the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences where one student is selected each year to receive funding from UM to attend The Washington Center Academic Internship Program in Washington D.C. TWC sets interns up with networking opportunities and night classes and helps connect interns to potential work sites like DACOR.
At DACOR, Chassay served as the communications and social media intern for the House’s Bicentennial Celebration. Her favorite part of the internship was the networking opportunities she gained working alongside current and former U.S. foreign service officers, including former U.S. ambassadors.
“I have had the opportunity to meet people who have played major roles in foreign policy and have had the honor to help promote one of America’s most well-kept secrets: the historic DACOR Bacon House,” the Guntersville native said. “Working here allowed me to gain valuable insight into how historic sites and non-profits like DACOR are operated behind the scenes.”
On campus, Chassay is a member of Chi Omega, Model United Nations and UM’s chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society.
Samantha Cost, CEMEX 
Senior Samantha Cost interned at CEMEX, a local aggregates quarry in Brierfield, where she assisted with projects in the construction industry focusing on safety and operational excellence. Before starting her internship, she had to be certified by the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Cost, a mathematics major from Clanton, mainly worked on two projects this summer — the first was a stormwater discharge tracking project where she digitized CEMEX’s stormwater environmental forms and created auto-generating graphs based on lab data. The second was a warehouse organization project where she organized four different warehouses and created an inventory and locating system in Microsoft Excel.
“My favorite part was shadowing different departments and learning about all that goes into the aggregate industry,” she said. “One of the main things I learned was just how important safety is in this industry. It just takes a little bit of carelessness and ignoring the rules for someone to get seriously injured.”
Cost is a member of the Honors Program, president of Astronomy Club, co-president of Math Club, business manager of The Alabamian and a Montevallo Master. She also works on campus at the Learning Enrichment Center, the Physical Plant and the Environmental Education Department.
Jazell Knight, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB 
Jazell Knight was accepted to the Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Funded by the American Cancer Society, the program provides expert mentoring to diverse undergraduate students and hands-on learning to nurture their interest in scientific research.
Knight, a junior biology major minoring in Spanish, originally learned of the opportunity from Dr. Heather Tinsley, associate professor of biology at UM. The application process was completely online, and Knight was one of only four students who were accepted to the program.
Knight spent the summer conducting cancer research in a laboratory with UAB’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology alongside Dr. Karina Yoon, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology.
“My favorite part was building rapport with the laboratory staff and my mentor, Dr. Yoon,” the Mobile native said. “I learned a lot about what it is like to work in the cancer and oncology field through first-hand experience and performing research of my own.”
On campus, Knight is a member of UM’s dance team, TRIO Student Support Services and a resident assistant.
Jazmin Miller, Pendragon Theatre 
Jazmin Miller spent time in New York this summer interning at Pendragon Theatre, a performing arts theatre in Saranac Lake. On track to earn a BFA in Theatre with a concentration in acting, the senior from Pinson heard about the internship from Michael Walker, chair of UM’s Department of Theatre. Walker knew the theatre company through a friend who was looking for internship applicants in the stage management and administrative area.
Throughout the first few weeks of the internship, Miller and her fellow interns went to Pendragon Theatre and helped set up and clean the theatre for the new season. They got to know the owners of Pendragon and learned the expectation of working on the production team as interns.
Once the season started, Miller served as assistant stage manager of the production “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” where she worked alongside the stage manager and helped keep the show in order, from tracking the moments happening onstage to assisting backstage wherever extra hands were needed. After that, she was made stage manager for “The Little Mermaid Jr.,” taking on the role of running the show fully.
Along with the experience she’s gained, Miller is grateful for the friendships she made during her time at Pendragon and the personal lessons she learned, including patience, time management and work-life balance.
“I’ve learned cognitive thinking skills and how to make something out of nothing,” she said. “Even if I don’t personally understand something, I’m not afraid to ask or have someone teach me. I had to remind myself that just because someone is better at something than you, doesn’t mean you’re less than. Just continue to learn with that person.”
On campus, Miller is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and Montevallo MADE.
