McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
Kedren Merrick is a junior natural resource conservation management major from Lake Charles attending McNeese State University. He recently completed an internship with CK Associates in downtown Lake Charles, a company that offers environmental consulting services to many different industries and sectors, especially locally.
“The most important thing I have learned through my internship is that hard work is the best tool for finding success,” he explained. “I made the most of every opportunity I could find to learn and try my best.”
His participation in the internship will help him in the future by building the skills he needs to become a professional environmental scientist.
“I have the privilege of working with a company that invests heavily in their employees, and CK Associates allows me to work part time throughout my studies, giving me an advantage for when I am able to join the workforce full time,” Merrick added.
He was able to use knowledge from coursework about water pollution, dendrology and environmental law. He appreciated the foundation of concepts and terms that environmental professionals consistently use.
Throughout the internship, Merrick learned “experience and personality are valued much more than academic performance.” He wanted to emphasize that point because, as a student, grades can become an infatuation, and he was reminded that they don’t always deem your workforce ability.
“I love asking my professors questions after class, and during my internship, I love asking my mentors questions such as how they handle stress and what type of approach they personally have,” he explained.
“In the future, I plan to continue interning with CK Associates and learning as much as I can from people around me,” he says. “Being a student at McNeese has allowed me to make connections with many different people and I’m excited for what can gain from those connections.”
Merrick chose to attend McNeese because it was close to home but quickly became grateful for the education he’s gotten and what the professors have to offer.
His advice to students looking for internships is to “make as many connections as possible by joining a professional and student organization as well as attending career fairs and internship soirees.
“I would not have gotten my first internship if I had not joined the air and waste Management Association,” said Merrick.
