The EBRPD Fisheries Department is providing summer internships for two Oakland High School students awarded scholarships in the 2008 Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program. Chris Mak, a senior, and Christina McGhee, a recent graduate, are among the 36 exceptional high school students accepted into this innovative national program sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS).

The principal goal of the Hutton Program is to stimulate interest in careers in fisheries science and management among groups underrepresented in the fisheries professions, including minorities and women. Each student chosen for the program receives $3,000 and is matched with a professional mentor for a summer-long, hands-on experience in fisheries science.

For most students, the Hutton Program is their first exposure to a professional work setting where they learn the qualities necessary for success and the importance of functioning well as part of a team. Chris and Christina will gain an awareness of conservation issues and the importance of healthy aquatic systems; participate in projects that benefit habitat restoration, protection, and management; and learn about career opportunities and what it means to be a fisheries biologist.