“So you just… didn’t want to deal with that?” I asked.
“It’s not that we didn’t want to,” he said, sounding a little sharper now. “It’s that we didn’t have justification for it. There are three domestic applicants already in the pipeline for the next intake. Two volunteers who’ve been here longer than you have. One returning seasonal tech who already has clearance.”
Right.
That made sense.
It didn’t feel great, but it made sense.
“And honestly,” he continued, taking a moment to scratch at his chin, “a lot of our entry-level roles here aren’t structured for sponsorship anyway. They’re public-facing positions as much as they’re husbandry ones.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means outreach,” he said. “Tours, education programs, donor events, presentations. School visits and guest engagement.”
“Oh…”
“I know that’s not really your thing,” he added.
I opened my mouth to argue with him, then stopped, because he wasn’t wrong.
“I thought maybe I just wasn’t fitting in,” I admitted quietly.
Mark’s mouth twitched slightly. “That’s not exactly wrong either,” he said.
My stomach dipped.
“You’re excellent with the animals,” he clarified. “Systems too. But this place runs on people as much as it runs on filtration.” He paused as if debating whether or not to say something, then quietly stated, “And there was the donor situation.”
I stiffened. “What about it?”
“Your future boss went over all our heads, straight to the director, and asked not to be interrupted by staff when talking to you,” he said. “That raised some eyebrows.”
“I-I didn’t ask him to do that,” I stammered.
Mark raised a hand to stop me. “Whether or not you did doesn’t matter. It happened.”
“Still, I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine. Honestly, it wouldn’t have changed anything anyways.”
I nibbled at the inside of my cheek, brows drawn together in thought.
Something was bothering me about his explanation.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, lad.”
“If sponsorship’s such a big deal, and if entry-level roles here usually go to domestic applicants… why bring me over in the first place?” The words came out quieter than I expected. “I mean—if there wasn’t really a path to staying.”
Mark nodded like he’d expected the question. “Internships like yours aren’t hiring pipelines,” he explained. “They’re training placements. Exchange positions. Half the time they exist because universities partner with us, not because we’re trying to recruit someone permanently. We get international interns every year,” he continued. “Some stay in the field here. Most don’t. A lot go back home and end up working in research programs or get picked up by regional aquariums with better long-term sponsorship structures.”
“Really?”
“It’s not meant to be misleading. It’s just how the system works. The placement gives you experience in a major facility. It gives us additional staff support during rotations. Everyone benefits.”
I nodded slowly. “I guess I just thought…”
