Mahi Pandey landed an international internship working with endangered cheetahs
Here’s how she did it and how you can, too.
About Mahi: Class of 2024, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Science major. An international student, Mahi is from the city of Lucknow in Utter Pradesh, India.
The internship: Wildlife conservation intern at Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia.
“This internship was such an amazing experience,” she said. “I learned so much from all the rotations.”
Mahi did everything from caring for the 27 resident cheetahs to going out in the field to collect data. She also worked on the model farm – as part of the CCF’s mission to reduce conflict between farmers and wildlife, they breed livestock guarding dogs and place them with local farmers.
“During one rotation, I was part of a puppy placement. I got to drop the livestock guarding dog puppy off with the farmer and learn more about the farms in Namibia and the ongoing human-wildlife conflict. That really made me fond of the model farm department,” she said. “Then there was also husbandry, which is working with the cheetahs, and that’s awesome. In the ecology department you work with data but also go out in the field. It was all very fascinating and interesting,”
Daily life in Namibia: Mahi lived in on-site housing – a small cottage – at the CCF facility and ate meals at a staff dining hall. The closest town, Ojiwagongo, was about 45 minutes away.
Her fellow interns at the CCF came from all over the world (including one fellow intern from Oregon State), but they all communicated in English. Mahi said the relationships she built and the hours they spent talking around the campfire, singing karaoke, and playing card games, are some of her best memories.
“Usually I would take animals over humans any time,” Mahi said. “In some part of my mind, I thought that I would be going just to work with cheetahs and focus only on animals. But I was so wrong. I ended up making so many good friends and so many great memories. They were the friendliest people I’ve ever met – genuinely good people who genuinely care about nature.”
How she found it: Mahi had already been successful in on-campus jobs, but she wanted to get experience related to her major and hadn’t had luck landing a conservation-focused internship. One morning, she was listening to a science video while getting ready for her day. Her ears perked up when she heard the zoologist in the video say that she’d attended Oregon State University and completed an internship working with cheetahs.
“I stopped getting ready and just turned all my attention to my phone,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘What? Cheetahs? Where, when, how? I want to know about it!”
That day on campus, Mahi asked her advisor how she could find out more, and her advisor directed her to the Office of Global Opportunities – OSU GO. In addition to coordinating study abroad classes, OSU GO partners with trusted organizations to offer more than 100 international internships. Their internships can be as short as 4 weeks or can last a full year, with opportunities available in all corners of the globe and in multiple subject areas.
How to apply: Before applying to the cheetah internship, Mahi first had to complete steps to get involved in OSU GO, including a Canvas module to learn about the processes, costs and steps involved. She then interviewed with an internship coordinator, was selected to move forward, and worked with the coordinator to make her application to the CCF as strong as she could.
“I took the advice of my internship coordinator to edit my resume and cover letter,” she said. “I thought it was good enough, but my coordinator wanted it to be very tailored and very specific – that was something I learned from her.”
Finally, she was selected for the CCF program and began preparing for the trip.
Overseas internship costs: International internships can involve extra costs, including airfare and other travel expenses. Mahi used OSU’s ScholarDollars portal to find aid to offset her costs. Mahi was able to collect enough scholarships to fund about 80 percent of her expenses, and her parents helped with the rest.
“Don’t hesitate to ask around in your department if they provide any funding for unpaid internships or abroad experiences,” Mahi said. “They will tell you exactly which scholarship to look for on the ScholarDollars portal or which other places you can look to for funding.”
Learn more about funding options for international experiences.
Advice for future interns:
“I would say do it: it’s a really good experience,” Mahi said.
Since Mahi is herself an international student who traveled from India to the U.S. to attend Oregon State, she already believed in the power of experiencing new cultures and understanding new perspectives – her internship in Namibia only strengthened her love for travel.
“Traveling is a really good way for you to explore your strengths,” she said. “It made me realize I could handle myself alone. And it makes you see other people, people from a completely different culture and background than you, in a new way. It helps you get a better view of the world.”
The experience also deepened her love for nature and her desire for a career working with wildlife.
“It solidified things for me. I want to stay in conservation, and I want to work more with carnivore conservation and human-wildlife conflict,” she said. “When I went to Namibia, I was not only able to work with one of my favorite species, but also learn about their conservation efforts and see how they are dealing with human-wildlife conflict mitigation. I got that reassurance – yes, this is what I want to continue working with.”
How you can get started:
- Set up a 15-minute appointment (virtual or in-person) with OSU GO staff to ask any questions.
- Create an OSU GO account
- Research your international internship options
- Meet with career advisors or use virtual career tools for help on your resume and other application materials
- Connect with OSU GO staff
- Attend the Study Abroad and Career Conversations Workshop: 5-6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 (virtual)
