Summer 2021 Biotechnology Internships
From researching innovative cancer treatments to building public trust in vaccine producers, Wily Scholars have been busy working on complex problems this summer.
Asstou, JT and Jessica excelled in their internships at Boston-area biotechnology companies. “It was my first internship, and I had a pretty great experience,” said Asstou, who is considering switching her major from biochemistry to biotechnology because of her time at GenerationBio. “It made me realize what I enjoy in the science world and which direction I would like to go.”
The three students found their internships through Project Onramp. The program is a collaborative effort between five leading life science organizations, including our partner Life Science Cares. Project Onramp aims to “bridge the opportunity gap” by “connect[ing] passionate, high-achieving four-year college students with paid internships.”
Jumping head first into a new work environment can be intimidating. In his article for the Wily blog, JT writes, “that first day was very daunting, with terminology and lingo being thrown around that I had no context with which to understand.”
By the end of his internship, though, JT had contributed meaningful work to a cancer treatment that won FDA approval to start clinical trials: a rare accomplishment.
It’s hard to explain the amount of focus that was required to not mix up any of the different samples and manage the extremely time sensitive steps of this procedure, but the results that I ended up with made me very proud to be able to impact the course of this company’s drug development and prove my potential as a scientist.
JT, Wily Scholar, Middlebury CollegeJessica pitched the series and oversaw it to completion, from writing interview questions to coordinating a shoot schedule. She wrote that she was inspired “to increase transparency and trust by highlighting the amazing individuals working at Moderna.”
The Wily Network’s entire staff ended the summer by attending Project Onramp’s inspiring Internship Showcase. We got to hear from Asstou, Jessica and JT, and see how much their companies appreciated their work.
Along with an impressive addition to their resumes, the three Scholars left their internships having built strong relationships with their supervisors. “I had a really great supervisor. She definitely helped me to identify my strengths and my skills I could work on,” Asstou explained. “She sat down with me…to figure out what I can work on moving forward, for future jobs or just for life in general. I am more self aware of what I need to work on as an individual.”
