My internship this summer was with the Environmental Health and Sustainability Department in the City of Plano, Texas. Going into this internship, I did not know what to expect, but I was extremely fortunate to have experienced the guidance from my mentors: Amber and Nisha. My internship with the City of Plano has been extremely educational and rewarding. I learned so much about food safety and its importance in ensuring the health and safety of the general public. This internship experience allowed me to gain insight into what it’s like to work with environmental health specialists in a professional setting as well as obtain valuable skills that can be transferred to future endeavors and career opportunities.

When I first started this internship, I was unsure about how I would handle all the projects and work I’d be given. With my first internship being a virtual one, I had to learn how to manage my projects and prioritize. I had to create a schedule for myself in order to complete everything on time. Working remotely was a challenge due to the limitless distractions and I had to learn to set goals for myself in order to stay focused and get my projects done. However, with this internship, I learned to self-manage, organize my tasks, and take ownership of my projects.

One of the highlights of my internship experience was going on a virtual kitchen inspection with an environmental health specialist. The experience taught me that there is a lot that goes into ensuring the safety of a food establishment for the general public. An environmental health specialist must have an extensive knowledge of the food code and the voluntary standards in order to conduct a proper inspection as well as a good understanding of commercial kitchen appliances. Prior to this internship, I had no idea that there would be such strict rules and regulations surrounding commercial kitchen appliances and the brands that would be acceptable for use. However, I learned that a large part of a successful inspection is to make sure that the appropriate and proper equipment are used.

Additionally, I learned that a career as an environmental health specialist is one that will require continuous education and training. Especially in the field of food safety, the guidelines, regulations, and rules are regularly changing and it’s important for these professionals to be up to date with these new changes. During a staff meeting, an environmental health specialist informed everyone that he had to conduct his own research on wasabi after he was called to go into a Japanese restaurant for an inspection because of a complaint he had received from a customer about eating bad wasabi. Since the environmental health specialist had limited knowledge about wasabi, he had decided to educate himself in order to best serve the customer with the complaint and the food establishment. While this is just one example of how the job can require continuous education, it is important for environmental health specialists to stay educated about new findings and information or to conduct their own research on unfamiliar foods in order to best serve the community and the people.

Overall, my internship with the City of Plano’s Environmental Health and Sustainability Department was incredibly rewarding and educational. I was able to learn something new every day. The environmental health professionals in the department I interned with are extremely knowledgeable and talented. If given the opportunity, I highly recommend doing an internship (I found the DEOHS internship portal to be useful in my internship search process) because it is an experience that will enhance your understanding of working in a professional setting as well as give you opportunities to explore and further your career interests.