Courtney McCall (’25), a double major in Psychology and Environmental Science, qualified for an exciting internship abroad.


Seal Rescue Ireland is a charity located in Galway, Ireland, County Wexford. They are dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick, injured, and orphaned seals. They are the only seal rescue in the Republic of Ireland and cover 3,000 kilometers of coastline. Their mission is to improve the health of seals and to promote education and local initiatives to promote healthier seas.

As an intern, most of Courtney’s time was spent working with the seals. Her tasks included daily cleaning, feeding, and preparation, as well as learning how to do tube feeding, intakes, and assist managers with shots and medicine. Courtney also had the chance to give tours and work on the rescue hotline.

I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in the spring semester in Galway, Ireland through the Concordia Study Abroad Program. It was the experience of being in Ireland and getting to see the culture there that led me to see if there were any opportunities to stay abroad for the summer and gain some work experience towards my environmental science and psychology degrees. I discovered Seal Rescue Ireland on a conservation website posting, applied, and loved getting to work with the seals and getting to make international friends who are passionate about the environment.

Courtney discovered this exciting summer opportunity thanks to her spring semester Concordia Study Abroad experience at the University of Galway. Being in Ireland and experiencing the culture there led Courtney to look into work opportunities abroad for the summer.

“I discovered Seal Rescue Ireland on a conservation website posting, applied, and loved getting to work with the seals and getting to make international friends who are passionate about the environment,” she explained.


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