Tag Archives: Chemistry

Aden Noor ’27: Teaching and Research Experience at Temple University

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Name: Aden Noor
Class Year: 2027
Major:  Chemistry
 
Internship Organization:  Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators
Internship Title:   TREU Program
Location:  Philadelphia, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

The TREU Program allows Undergraduate students to work as teachers for 9th-12th grade students currently enrolled in Temple University’s STEM-UP Program. The first 3 weeks of the 9-week internship schedule were designated for training. During the training period, I was assigned to assist in the Math and Chemistry classes. With the help of my peers and supervisors, I helped design Math and Chemistry lesson plans, which I would teach to 9th and 10th grade classes once their program began. I used the Chemistry Lab facilities at Temple to obtain data for my Chemistry Lesson on Caffeine Concentration and Absorbance. This same data was used in my Math Lesson to help teach 10th grade students how to accurately measure slope and obtain a line of best fit equation. The subsequent 6 weeks have been the most interesting part of my experience at Temple University. Interacting with the students and teaching them has been one of my favorite activities.
 
Why did you apply for this internship? 

I have always been interested in teaching as a potential career. I taught my younger brother Chemistry throughout high school and developed a great appreciation for it. I not only felt like I was helping others, but I was also becoming more comfortable with concepts and knowledge that I felt were important. I never had a space to practice teaching, so this program seemed like a great fit.
 
What has been your favorite part of this internship? 

My favorite part has been interacting with my students. All of them are so eager to learn new concepts, and they actively engage in all the activities I give them. It’s been a joy helping them when they face problems and watching them grow to love Math and Chemistry.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

In all aspects, yes. It was very similar to what I had expected. However, I did not realize it would be so intense at times. You have to be quick on your feet if a lesson plan falls through or you have to cover for another staff member if they are not here. It was definitely a new experience trying to juggle multiple differing responsibilities at once. 

What has been your favorite part of this internship? 

My favorite part has been interacting with my students. All of them are so eager to learn new concepts, and they actively engage in all the activities I give them. It’s been a joy helping them when they face problems and watching them grow to love Math and Chemistry. 

Migraines and Me: Akosua Boatemaa Sarpong ‘28

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Name: Akosua Boatemaa Sarpong
Class Year: 2028
Major: Chemistry
 
Internship Organization: Summer Social Science Research at Bryn Mawr College
Internship Title:   Research Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

My internship involves researching into vestibular migraines, migraines, dizziness and broadly chronic illness. A typical day involves a mix of searching for articles from a range of databases such as google scholar, PubMed and PubMed Central, ProQuest and Tripod, as well as doing some readings, scouting the internet for blogs and listening to podcasts on the topic.
 
Why did you apply for this internship?  

I applied for this internship because I’ve always been interested in social medicine, oddly enough for a STEM major. It was the perfect internship: a mix of the social construction of migraines and the medicalization of it. It was perfect!

Was there anything special about how you found this internship? 

This was a Bryn Mawr Summer Social Science Research Pilot Program and I think it’s a really great initiative by the school to foster creativity and exploration.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

 My favorite part of this internship has been learning about contested illnesses such as vestibular migraine as well as the (de)legitimization and the role gender and racial stereotypes play. Getting to put myself in the shoes of the patients and living life through their eyes has also been rewarding. 

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

I learnt how to think critically as well as outside the box. Being a STEM major for me meant following a set of already given instructions sometimes without even thinking through it, simply just following directions. However, I learnt how to make inferences, as well as consider multiple perspectives and draw logical conclusions. 

Can you talk about the skills you learned and why they are important to you? 

I’m learning communication skills, teamwork, critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and adaptability. These are important to me because they’re all skills that are necessary to be able to work effectively, especially as I prepare to enter the work filed one day. 

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced during your internship? 

The biggest challenge I would say I faced was working as a team. Throughout my high school years and first year of college, I typically worked alone and studied alone however for my internship, I had to learn how to coordinate with and discuss ideas and initiatives with my research partner. It was hard in the beginning, being unable to work on my timing at my own pace, having to always confer with a second person before proceeding to do anything. As time went on, I slowly began to get more comfortable with working as a team and I realized I actually enjoyed it! 

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 
fun, thought-provoking, exciting 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 
The most rewarding part of my internship is the perspective I’ve gained into social medicine, specifically the social construction of illnesses and how it differs from the medical construction.

Was this internship what you expected it to be? 
Yes. It is was exactly as I expected and more. Everything outlined in the beginning has been achieved and more. 

 

Rana Rastegari ’26 Spends the Summer as an Editorial Intern at Campus Philly

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Name: Rana Rastegari
Class Year: 2026
Major: Literatures in English, Chemistry 

Internship Organization: Campus Philly
Internship Title:   Editorial Intern
Location: Philadelphia, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

Campus Philly Team

I spent this summer interning with Campus Philly, focusing on editorial work. My main projects consisted of writing regular blogs for the Campus Philly website and keeping the calendar, Guide to Goods and Things to Do pages updated. Over the course of this internship, I wrote multiple blogs about the Greater Philadelphia region focusing on events, activities and information geared towards college students in the area. Throughout the summer, I also led the outreach and organization of the annual Guide to Philly. I was in touch with several organizations and college students in order to finalize the details for the annual guide alongside writing my own feature for Ardmore! Some daily tasks at my internship included maintaining and updating several excel documents containing contact information for all of the Campus Philly partners and ensuring that all of the details were up to date. As a part of my internship, I was able to attend several incredible events! A favorite internship memory from this summer was attending a preview of an exhibit at the Barnes which included a guided tour of the artwork from the curator herself! I had the privilege of writing about the exhibit for the Campus Philly blog and had the opportunity to connect with other reporters.

Why did you apply for this internship?  

As a freshman at Bryn Mawr, I attended Campus Philly’s CollegeFest which was an amazing and formative experience. It truly made me feel much more comfortable about my first few weeks of college. I had also previously written for the Guide to Philly in 2023 and really enjoyed the process! Therefore, being familiar with the Campus Philly mission, I reached out to Ashley Barber (Senior Director of Content Strategy) to ask about an internship! Campus Philly was such a helpful resource for me when I came to college and I was really excited to be a part of that team!     

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

This internship has taught me a lot about the importance of data analysis and marketing in every position. For nearly all of my projects, Ashley and I have discussed outreach numbers  and salesforce contacts in depth. Each of my blog posts requires the correct company information and contact details to be included in the piece and the Guide to Philly project relies on us being able to get the word out to as many people as possible. It has been really interesting to see exactly how important these skills are to the company!  

Working remotely for the first time? What has that experience been like for you?  

Working remotely has been an adjustment for me as I am very used to in-person, hand on work especially throughout the semester. However, I have really enjoyed working remotely with Campus Philly as I still felt very connected to other staff members. Outside of the in-person planning day, we met on teams weekly and I also met with Ashley every week separately. As a result, I always felt very supported by the team while simultaneously having the independence to plan out my own working hours and project priorities. 

Sam Wagner-Robertson ‘26 Interns at Dr. Anguera’s UPenn Laboratory

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Name: Sam Wagner-Robertson
Class Year: 2026
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry

Internship Organization: Biomedical Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 

Internship Title:  Undergraduate Researcher
Location: Philadelphia, PA

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

Human T cell nuclei I treated with RNA FISH to detect specific molecules

My internship is at Dr. Anguera’s research lab, where we examine various genetic mechanisms that contribute to a female bias in autoimmune diseases, including lupus and scleroderma. Although our lab is located at UPenn’s veterinary school, our research and lab members expand beyond the veterinary field. Our work involves analysis of both mouse and human samples, studying the inactive X-chromosome and sex differences in immune responses.   

Why did you apply for this internship? 

Pachi, Dr. Anguera’s dog

At Bryn Mawr College, I work in Dr. Williamson’s lab researching Batten disease, a fatal pediatric neurodegenerative disorder. This experience launched my love for immunology, solidified my goal of pursuing a career in research, and sparked a curiosity of how research is conducted in other environments and BMC’s summer funding allowed me to do just that. Knowing about BMC’s funding opportunity, I reached out to different labs whose work I wanted to be a part of over the summer. Fascinated with Dr. Anguera’s blend of genetics and immunology, I was ecstatic to hear there was an opening in her lab as an undergraduate researcher. After a few emails and meetings with Dr. Anguera, we built an internship founded on my career goals and interests, allowing me to be a part of every stage of the research process.

What has been your favorite part of this internship? 

Truly every aspect of this experience has been incredible, and I’m not sure if I can pick just one to be my favorite. Maybe it has been becoming a part of the lab: learning about our lab members’ research journeys and even their favorite TV shows. Maybe it has been working full time in a laboratory setting and getting to experience different aspects of research and new protocols. Or maybe it’s the benefit of working at UPenn Vet, where so many people bring their dogs to work. Overall, I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn from such amazing people, and I am very excited to return next year!    

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you? 

A lab outing to Ben & Jerry’s (some members not pictured)

Dedicating these past 10 weeks to research has strengthened my laboratory skills tenfold. I have learned procedures for mouse care and research, advanced my skills in imaging and data analysis, studied recent papers, and gained insight about different research paths. The skills I have gained this summer will act as a pivotal foundation for my work this upcoming senior year for my thesis, as well as later pursuing a PhD. Additionally, I will be continuing to improve these skills and more when working in the Anguera lab after graduating from Bryn Mawr this spring. 

 

Serving in My Homeland! by Juanita Beenyi

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Name: Juanita Beenyi
Class Year: 2026
Major: Chemistry
 
Internship Organization: Family Life Pharmacy
Internship Title:   Pharmacy Technician
Location: Winneba, Ghana
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

At Family Life Pharmacy, I’ve been getting a real hands-on feel for what goes into patient care. I spend a good part of my day talking with patients who are either picking up prescriptions after a hospital visit or preparing for one. I help make sure they’re getting the right medications for their needs. I also run a few basic tests (like malaria, typhoid, and blood pressure checks), which give more insight into what patients are dealing with based on the symptoms they share. 

On the logistics side, I help with inventory tasks such as sourcing, ordering, and restocking pharmaceutical supplies. I also play a role in monitoring drug stock levels to prevent both shortages and overstocking, ensuring that essential medications remain available for patient care.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I was always very interested in applying for a psychology-related internship. When I found out about the opportunity to intern in Vienna, I was immediately sold. Not only would it be really cool to be able to do an internship in a different country and explore the differences in psychology and therapy between the U.S. and Austria, but, since I am from the Netherlands, it was also a chance for me to be closer to home and family. Additionally, the opportunity to work at the trauma institute in the psychotherapy department aligns well with my interests and academic goals.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

Although I was raised in Ghana, I wasn’t familiar with many local languages due to the country’s ethnic diversity and the dominance of English in schools. At the pharmacy, I was surprised to find that most clients communicated in “Fante” when describing medical conditions or requesting medications. Many drugs – even foreign ones –  had local names, which made it challenging to assist them initially. However, with the support of the staff and my willingness to learn, I picked up the frequently used names over time. This experience deepened my appreciation for cultural and linguistic competence in healthcare settings.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 

Empathetic, Fast-paced, Restorative 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 

One of the most rewarding moments of my internship happened on my way to the pharmacy one morning. I was walking when I saw a middle-aged man wave at me – he was a former patient I had helped a few weeks earlier. He came into the pharmacy extremely weak, to the point that I had to assist him into a chair that day. Now, here he was, standing strong, and telling me how much better he felt after he took the medications we gave him. Seeing someone recover and knowing I played a part in that process was incredibly fulfilling. Moments like that reminds me why I am passionate about healthcare – it is not just about medicine, but about people, restoration, and hope.