Experiences

Past Internship Experiences

In 2016, I participated in the Hoosier Health Academy program. In this program I learned about SAT Prep, basic information on neuroscience, science kits, completed a dissection, and visited many different campuses. Before this program I was very shy and introverted. I did not like meeting new people or working with them. I liked to work independently and not interact much with others, but as the program went on I began to appreciate that people have different ideas and that I enjoyed learning about them.

A year later, I participated in Project SEED, which gave me the opportunity to work in a lab as a high school student. In the laboratory, there were people from other countries, who helped me learn many experimental techniques and procedures. Not only I learned about their cultures, but I learned how to communicate in order to do my project. In my second semester of freshman year, I volunteered at the Indiana Latino Institute. I volunteered for the health section under Amanda Szura. There were couple of interns in the health section, and we worked together to survey stores and gas stations for tobacco advertising. We also worked together in a diabetes preliminary management plan for Latinos, and in contacting apartment complexes and pastors to offer the support of the organization. Every year since 2017, I volunteer at Celebrate Science at Indiana for the NOBCChE booth. We try to introduce science to children in a positive and interesting way. This last summer, I participated in an internship for Language Zolutions. I worked on a medical interpretation booklet which I translated in Spanish. This internship confirmed my love for medicine and even though it was very independent, I enjoyed it.

How My Internship Experiences Shaped My Career Goals

My experiences confirmed my passion for science and made me realize that I like giving back to the community (especially the Latino community). I preferred working independently but over the years I also grew to like working in a team. Communication is something I want to keep working in, because team members have different educational levels or cultural backgrounds, and some misunderstandings may arise. Something important I have learned, is that the more diverse a group is, the more different perspectives you can have when looking at a problem. I enjoy being around different types of people. It has helped me to get rid of prejudices and misconceptions.

Project SEED 2017 Poster Presentations at the VanNuys Medical Science Building