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The reasons for pursuing an internship before graduation include the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, make connections and potentially, land a job. For two UT seniors, who join 450 graduates at the 139th commencement on Dec. 13, this was exactly their trajectory. Rebecca Vaclav ’14, a chemistry major with an environmental science minor from New Berlin, WI, has interned with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful since Fall 2013. She was introduced to the nonprofit during the three years she worked with UT’s PEACE Volunteer Center. “PEACE showed me how to make service a life choice rather than just a weekend thing,” said Vaclav, who will be teaching environmental education classes to middle and high schoolers in Hillsborough County, as well as doing outreach. She will also continue a research project with John Struss, assistant professor of chemistry, next semester and work on her grad school applications to pursue a doctorate degree in chemistry next fall.Vaclav, an Honors student who will graduate cum laude, said serving on the conduct board at UT was one of the most formative experiences she had on campus. “Serving on that board was about ethical decision making, where you have to remove yourself from biased judgment,” she said. “It taught me more about myself than anything.” Claude Exama ’14, a marketing major from Boston, has turned his fall internship into a full-time marketing job with Greenway Health. He works with several managers in developing and implementing marketing programs, qualifying marketing leads and generating opportunities for sales. Exama landed his internship after first hearing about it from one of his professors. The fact that it was paid, and will turn into a full-time job after graduation, has been an incredible plus. The internship with Greenway Health was the third for Exama, who during his junior year interned with News Channel 8 in marketing and promotions, and then the following semester as a liaison between the news and marketing departments. He followed that up as a leasing and marketing professional with an apartment complex.Exama came to UT as an undecided major with an interest in philosophy and the creativity of thought in the field. When he stumbled upon marketing, he realized the flexibility of the degree, with the ability to work in many industries, was appealing.“I started in television marketing, then real estate and now health care technology,” Exama said. “I never in my life thought I would be in this field.” And he is excited about the future.Saturday’s commencement starts at 9: 30 a.m. in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center. The ceremony will include 450 graduates, including 349 bachelor’s degree candidates and 101 master’s degree candidates. Read full details on UT’s December commencement.