The last Thursday of July is recognized in the United States each year as National Intern Day, and here at the Richmond SPCA, we are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with fantastic folks completing internships related to their professional goals.
The Richmond SPCA is a partner organization with Partnership for the Future, a local community-driven college preparation and workforce development program dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for young people by providing training and educational opportunities that will fuel their future success. Students who participate in Partnership for the Future have the opportunity to work as paid summer interns with a partner organization. We're so proud to have gotten to work with Maliah Wyatt at the Richmond SPCA for the past two summers.
Maliah worked as a Critter Camp Counselor at our children's day camps in the summer of 2024. She also gained a broad overview of our day-to-day operations by shadowing teams in our shelter, veterinary hospital, spay and neuter clinic, volunteer management, and education and training teams. During the summer of 2025, she spent more time focusing on her interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, spending her Mondays at our Smoky's Spay & Neuter Clinic and her Tuesdays and Thursdays at our Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital. She also assisted again at our Critter Camps on Wednesdays!
We are so grateful to Maliah for choosing to work with the Richmond SPCA, and for all that she has done to help animals and the people who love them. Read on to learn about Maliah's internship experience!
Maliah Wyatt, 2025 Highland Springs High School Graduate
Calling the Richmond SPCA my dream internship would be an understatement. My time here as an intern for two summers and as an employee working part-time as a Birthday Party Host has been one of the most impactful and eye-opening experiences ever.
Growing up, I’ve always had a love and passion for animals. I would find so much joy in helping my aunt and uncle take care of their chickens and cows, and I even had a variety of pets of my own that I loved caring for. My passion soon became deeper, and I realized that I wanted to help animals outside of my own, giving back to the love and companionship they show us humans. I knew that I needed some type of validating experience, and that’s when the Richmond SPCA opened its doors for me to come and explore.
I was in a program called Partnership for the Future, in which they were having their students interview for internships in the Richmond area. I was delivered the news that I would be interviewing with the Richmond SPCA, and I was ecstatic. The perfect opportunity for me to get that experience that I had been looking for to secure my childhood dream had finally been granted.
To my surprise, I got the internship! Since then, I’ve been blessed with the chance to work in their veterinary hospital and explore the many activities their internal shelter teams do to ensure every pet has a chance to be adopted. I was tasked with things such as cleaning surgical instruments, folding laundry, running lab diagnostics, and lending a helping hand to any assistants or technicians who needed it.
Maliah with her internship supervisor, Gray Miller, Richmond SPCA's Manager of Employee Engagement
Furthermore, I was able to build a network with multiple veterinarians and technicians who mentored me and taught me the ropes of the vet field. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also got to see firsthand the love and care put into every patient, and that itself was enough to solidify my desire to pursue this path.
I had the opportunity to work in the Critter Camps for kids, help at Smoky’s Spay and Neuter Clinic, shadow Foster Care, and work as a Birthday Party Host. All these experiences alone helped improve all the skills I need for college and beyond. I learned how to work with others, communicate, solve problems, and show empathy with pets and their owners.
These vital skills will be taken with me to Virginia Tech, where I will be attending in the fall to study animal science on a pre-vet track. With that degree, I plan on applying to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine to pursue my goal of becoming a veterinarian.
This decision wouldn’t have been possible without the help and guidance of the Richmond SPCA. Every day, I woke up excited to come to work and be part of a kind and loving team that puts their heart into all that they do. That, to me, is passion, and the Richmond SPCA is full of it. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the vet field and, most importantly, myself.
Blog written by Student Intern Maliah Wyatt.Photos provided by Manager of Employee Engagement Gray Miller and Partnership for the Future.
