Hometown: Tribune, Kansas
Majors: Finance and Economics
Internship title and organization: Research intern at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP)
What were your responsibilities during your internship?
C-CAMP is an incubator for start-up companies that are in the life sciences field. I researched the competitive landscapes and wrote reports for the scientist to use as a reference point as they decide to commercialize their research. My job was to figure out what the challenges for commercialization might be as well as what companies are currently researching and/or doing similar projects and how those companies will play into the future of the start-ups from an acquisition standpoint.
I worked on two projects, one deals with an immunomodulation therapy in HIV patients, and the second one was a device that does rapid antimicrobial resistance susceptibility testing. One of the biggest public health concerns for the future is the growing resistance to antibiotics in the general population, so this device is able to detect resistance before it becomes a problem and before antibiotics are even prescribed. This will help doctors more accurately treat patients according to the type of infection they have.
What was your favorite part(s) of the internship?
I really enjoyed learning about the biological background of my projects, it had been a long time since I’d taken a science class, so learning about science again was a nice change from what I’ve been doing the past three years.
What did you gain from the experience that will be valuable to you in the future?
How did you find out about this internship?
I actually heard about it through the B-School two years ago in an email and I have always wanted to do it.
What advice would you give students who are considering an internship?
India is a great country, but it is very different from the US and will take some time to get used to both physically and culturally, it takes time and patience but if you throw yourself at India and are willing to learn, India will be a phenomenal experience. Living and working in India has been such a unique experience. Every day, I learned about different foods and customs. During my internship, I learned to adapt to and appreciate cultural differences. India is such a diverse country that has a long and rich history. I enjoyed learning about India from the locals and sampling all the amazing food!
Why did you choose your majors/minors?
I decided to be a finance major first because I was interested in learning about how companies work from a technical standpoint, and I liked learning about financial markets. After my freshman year I chose to pursue economics as well for a few reasons, the main one being I liked how well it tied into finance and also it allowed me to look at the global economy from a broader viewpoint.
What do you plan to do next?
At the moment I am studying for the GRE and planning to apply to go to grad school and do my masters in applied economic analysis.
The best advice I ever got:
How do you recharge your batteries?
I’m a runner, so whenever I feel like I need a time out, putting in some music and going for a nice long run always helps me recover when I need it.
What motivates you?
I am most motivated when I’m working on something that will have a positive impact on my community and the world around me or when I’m doing something I really love.