Abby Taylor was majoring in environmental thought and practice at the University of Virginia, with a double minor in studio art and public policy, when she saw an email from the Environmental Institute announcing new externship opportunities.
“I decided to take a look at the offerings on a whim,” Taylor remembered. “Green Fin’s posting immediately caught my eye. As someone with a very niche major and minor combination in science and visual arts, Green Fin’s mission of environmental storytelling through visual and written media was incredibly appealing to me. I put in my application that very same night!”
In January 2024, Taylor completed her January term (“J-term”) externship with Green Fin Studio and after graduating in May 2024, Taylor took a full-time position with the company.
“We always have a hard time selecting just one student for our internship opportunities, the applicants all bring a compelling set of interests and abilities,” said Paula Jasinski, President and Founder of Green Fin Studio. “In Abby’s case, her enthusiasm and creative spark set her apart in the interview process. She left such an impression during her short two-week externship that we happily offered her a full-time position afterward.”
The Environmental Institute’s J-Term externship program, which has been operating for six years, is a job-shadow mentoring program designed to expose students to career opportunities within sustainability, resilience, and environmental fields. The Environmental Institute works with the University Career Center to identify and partner with companies able to host students. The Institute received 262 applications for the 2024 J-term externship openings.
“This is short-term work with long-term impacts on climate change,” said Karen McGlathery, Director of UVA’s Environmental Institute. “We know many students at UVA are eager to find careers using their skills and education to combat climate change and its impacts. At the Institute, we see the J-Term externship program as an opportunity during the academic year for students to explore potential careers they may not have previously encountered. We enjoy working alongside great partner organizations to offer these experiences.”
Jasinski added, “As a UVA alum, it’s so meaningful to have the ability to work with current students as they explore possible career paths, particularly non-traditional paths that connect science, psychology, creative arts, and communication. “
For Taylor, her externship experience was flexible and positive. She shared that Green Fin Studio made a point of letting her choose which skills she wanted to refine within the context of environmental communications. She learned the fundamentals of Adobe Illustrator that she then used to create a series of infographics, and she was given the opportunity to write an article for Green Fin Studio publications on changing community environmental behaviors.
“To sum it up,” Taylor said, “my externship gave me exposure to the creative process involved in crafting informative graphics, engaging storytelling, and compelling writing about the environment.”
Today, as an Environmental Communication Associate at Green Fin Studio, Taylor’s J-Term externship experience was truly life-changing.
“My externship experience with Green Fin, though brief, was incredibly helpful in jumpstarting my final semester at UVA and showing me exactly what kind of work I wanted to pursue post-graduation,” Taylor said. “Going into my final year at UVA, I felt lost as to how I wanted my career to develop. However, upon completing my externship at Green Fin, I knew that I would return in a heartbeat if I was offered a position. I clicked with my coworkers almost instantly and was genuinely interested in the work I was doing day to day. I also felt as if the work I did held legitimate weight within the field and could see tangible impacts for clients and audiences alike. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”