Internship Presentation
Internship Presentation
Internship Presentation
by Mauricio Mejia
Serving Sizes
A large part of the rise of obesity has been serving sizes and the
coincided increase of the portion. For example, a bagel is twice
the size today than it was 20 years ago, and a soda is nearly six
times the sizes today. Bigger portions = more calories.
In the United States, 28% of Mexican-American children ages 2-5 are overweight,
compared to 21% nationwide. 14% of Mexican-American children are obese, compared
to 10% nationwide. Since 75% of Imperial Countys population is from Mexican origin,
it is one of the most obese counties in California. 39% of the children there are
overweight, compared to 28% statewide. This is why our mission is mostly based in
Imperial, so we can change the way people see obesity, and also to prevent it in
children as well as in adults.
Internship Q&A
Q: How did you make a meaningful contribution to your workplace?
A: I have made contributions for this internship by being proactive and productive with the tasks and work assigned to me here. I actively seek out tasks, and work on
them effectively. Even when I do not have something to work on, I ask my mentor Jamie, or I would also ask Griselda and Dulce. For example, one task I had to do
was to transcribe an interview conducted by one of my coworkers. Transcription is when you type down what the person is saying in the piece of audio. It doesn't
have to be word for word, but you have to be able to understand it. I finished the first transcription, then asked Dulce if I could do the second one.
Q: How was your work as an intern meaningful to your education?
A:This internship has helped me be more proactive, a skill that I hope to carry into the new school year. I've also become a hard worker here, something I needed to
work on in the past. At school I have had the tendency to slack off of my work, relying only on my skills, thinking I can do things last minute and not working hard on a
project, but I feel that this internship has shown me the rewards of working hard. Sure, it can be stressing for a moment, but I learned that I would rather be stressed
in the beginning than being stressed at the end.
Q: How was your work significant or meaningful to you beyond school and your specific internship site?
A: This internship has been essential to my future education because it gives me the opportunity to be in a real life workplace, an experience most high school
students don't get to have. It also will look good on my resume, because it is a certified research institution. Since I want to work in the researching field, this will give
me added experience for my future job.
Q&A Part II
Q: What did you learn about yourself through working on the internship project?
A:I have learned that if I work hard with my tasks, I can get things done in bunches and efficiently, something I have always had a problem with. I know, and a lot of
people have told me, that I am smart, but at times I can slack off, which is disheartening to the people that want to see me succeed. I know that I can do great things
if I put my mind to it, and this internship has helped me in showing that.
Q: What new appreciations did you develop at your internship? Why?
A: During my time here at IBACH, I have learned to appreciate a quite, concentrated environment. Here, our offices are very focused on data, so we usually don't
have time to chat or anything like that. It is the exact opposite with High Tech High, where we spend a lot of our time doing team-building activities and what not. But I
have grown accustom to the working environment at IBACH, and I have even been thriving in not getting distracted and working on my tasks.
Q: What qualities or characteristics did you see in the people around you that you want to develop in yourself? Why?
A: I think the people here are very hard-working, an area I would like to work on. For example, Ilyn, one of my coworkers, is already applying for another internship,
showing her working ethics, as well as showing that she wants to succeed in her future. I feel like I have learned one of the most important things here. At school I
usually slack off because I feel confident in whatever project I'm doing, so I don't feel the need to be urgent about things. But since working at my Internship is a
completely new experience, I feel like I have to work harder in order to succeed my goals.
Research References
1. Lack of exercise, not diet, linked to rise in obesity, Stanford research shows. (2014, July 7). Retrieved January 27, 2016, from https:
//med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2014/07/lack-of-exercise--not-diet--linked-to-rise-in-obesity--stanford-.html
2. Sleep Deprivation and Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sleep/
3. We Can! Community News Feature. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.
gov/health/educational/wecan/news-events/matte1.htm
4. Childhood Obesity and the U.S.-Mxico Border. 2009. United States ? Mxico Border Health Commission
5. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM,
Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010 ;303(3):242-9
The End
Thank you for your time!