Dear Dr.

Rothermel,
I am writing in response to an email the USF biology department forwarded to me
regarding the herpetology internship opportunity at ABS. I have attached my resume
and three references for your review.
As you can see from my resume, I am an Environmental Science and Policy/Biology
double major at the University of South Florida and am an intern at the Clearwater
Marine Aquarium (CMA). Through my CMA internship in water quality and aquatics I
have 500+ hours of professional lab experience, plus directly handled and aided in the
care of the sea turtles in rehabilitation. This experience includes compiling and entering
250 + units of analytical water chemistry/day.
While pure research is my passion, I have also found that I enjoy and appreciate public
outreach and education. At CMA I give weekly educational presentations on the exotic
pet trade, moray eel morphology, feeding habits, and habitat preservation. While in
Ghana, Africa I also gave various presentations on pan-cultural differences in education
to fellow colleagues, as well as teaching at a basic school. These classes were
comprised of about 70 students to which I taught basic mathematics, English, and
environmental awareness. This gives me a solid background in public education and
would be very helpful in ABSs educational outreach.
In your synopsis of the internship indicated candidates should have a demonstrated
ability to tolerate hot, humid conditions. I have lived in Tampa for the last eight years
and am familiar with Floridas humid conditions. In addition, I spent six weeks in Ghana
during the wet season where temperatures reached upwards of 90 degrees with a
humidity level of about 75%.
I want to participate in this program because I believe its relevant to my studies and
would bolster my academic experience significantly. On a more personal level, I love
reptiles and want to have hands on experience working with them. They are fascinating
animals and I would enjoy learning more about them through the program.
Because of both my experience and double major, I feel I am ideally suited for ABSs
Tortoise Research Program. If chosen, I will bring knowledge, a strong work ethic and
great enthusiasm to your program. I can be reached at either 813/4491535 or bmacneill@mail.usf.edu. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Bryan MacNeill