In 2013 I was another statistic of the recession and found myself waiting in the San Francisco unemployment office along with many other hard working people who lost their jobs during that economic fiasco. I had worked as a project coordinator or manager in several industries ranging from hardware development, tradeshows and exhibits, and most recently medical cannabis. A City College of San Francisco flier was in the unemployment office listing the courses and after reviewing it something in me was drawn to the Bridge to Biotech program. In my last position, I loved working with the plants and enjoyed the varied tasks associated with plant care such as preparing the fertilizer solutions, maintaining the pH of the water tanks and using the microscope to identify pests or mold. I waited anxiously for a semester to start the program since the school year had already begun, but once classes started I was elated.
One of the great things about the Bridge to Biotech program was that there was a mix of different backgrounds in the program. Some people had already had science related degrees and some were trying something new like me. My bachelor's degree is in Film and Digital media, and even though I had taken some science courses in college, it was like learning a new language, and in fact it was exactly that.
The Bridge to Biotech courses taught us scientific vocabulary and writing skills, the appropriate math to do scientific calculations and the metric system, and gave us a solid introduction to cells, gene regulation, and lab techniques. At the end of the program we all gave poster presentations at CCSF’s Biosymposium on a research topic of our choice. It gave us a real feel of what it would be like to present at future scientific conferences and network with scientists and potential employers.
Upon completion of the Bridges to Biotech program I was eligible to do a 180 hour internship and was happy to get a place at Prosetta Biosciences, Inc. Upon completion I presented my research findings again at the Biosyposium, networked and even did a mock interview with a panel of judges, which included people from local job placement agencies. At that point I had decided I wanted to participate in CCSF’s CIRM funded Stem Cell Trainee Internship and get an Associate's Degree in Biotechnology. Li Lovett, the Biotech counselor helped me map out my path, I studied hard and focused on my goals. I met a lot of wonderful people, made great friends, and all the teachers were invested in the success of their students. There were scholarship programs that helped me financially and I worked odd jobs to keep afloat. It was a lean existence and there were times I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue, but it was something I really wanted.
I was one of ten fortunate people to be chosen for the 9 month CIRM Stem Cell Trainee program and was placed in the Panning Laboratory at UCSF. My mentor there, Dr. Karen Leung, also is an instructor at CCSF so she understood the demands of the program and she was enthusiastically dedicated to helping me with my project. My fellow interns also had good experiences and I might be a bit biased, but every day I felt like I had been placed in the best lab for me. During those nine months I was pushed to understand new concepts and elevate my critical thinking skills, but I felt confident in my abilities because of the foundation from my experiences in the Bridge to Biotech program. It was not without challenges and there were discouraging days, but my lab mates, fellow interns and the internship coordinators, Dr. Carin Zimmerman and Dot Eppler, were always helpful in bolstering my spirit. At the end of the program I presented at my third CCSF Biosymposium (photo above) and at the CIRM Bridges conference, which brings together CIRM Stem Cell Trainees from all over California.
The support of my CCSF teachers and mentors continued even after the program ended as I began my job search. With their help and references, I was hired at the Weiner Lab at UCSF.
Thanks to the City College of San Francisco, its amazing Biotech faculty, and the access to internship programs that gave me valuable experience these goals do not feel impossible. I have seen classmates go on to start new exciting careers or get accepted into bachelors and graduate programs. For advice for prospective students is this: Go For It! You Can Do It! Work hard, study and seek out resources and guidance. It might change your life. It changed mine. For that I am forever grateful.
