Lisa CoeMicrobiology Junior I’m going to bring up a topic that most of us likely don’t enjoy discussing: money. If you’re like the 59% of students at Pitt, you have taken out some form of student loan. Every single day, while you’re at Hillman fighting for the few whiteboards and scarce outlets, that ominous amount of money you owe is growing. It’s understandably discomforting: locking your future into a financial bind on top of the current stress of classes and other time commitments. While adding to your extensive to-do list may not be the most exciting thing in the world, I do believe that taking the time to apply for scholarships is a great way to reduce money-related stress. The two scholarship search engines that I use are UNIGO and Fastweb. These platforms allow you to create an account and enter information about yourself. The website then uses this information to generate a list of scholarships that fit your profile. There are plenty of other search engines, but I recommend only using two or three, otherwise you might spend more time searching for scholarships than actually applying for any. You’ll find that many of these scholarship applications involve writing an essay that describes your achievements, future goals, financial situation, and why you deserve the award. No matter how often I write about myself, I always find it awkward to do so in the best light possible while also exposing my financial hardship. If you’re like me, my advice to you is to tell a story and to be honest. You don’t need a sob story; you need a story that is true to you. The best writing comes when you’re writing for yourself, not when you’re writing for a prompt. So remember, you’re not only writing these essays for whomever is funding the award, you’re writing these essays for yourself and to improve your own financial situation.
And yes, I did mean plural “essays”, and not the singular form. Even if scholarship applications ask the same questions, write a new essay for each one. Different funding sources have different values, so you ought to frame the essay in a way that coincides with the company’s values. (I might add that this is good practice for those of you hoping to attend graduate and professional schools, as concise and deliberative essay writing is vital skill during application season.) Some applications have prompts that are specific to the funding group. For example, this scholarship offered by a physical therapy clinic asks you to write about how physical therapy can help people to develop healthy life habits post-recovery. While these kinds of essays may be more difficult to frame, there are often less applicants that apply, resulting in a less competitive scholarship and better odds that you will take home the prize! Other kinds of applications involve creative submissions, such as videos and photos. These applications are often more work, but they can be a fun way to break from the mentally draining process of essay writing. Another great source that you most definitely should utilize is Pitt Fund$ Me. Pitt Fund$ Me is located on the right side of your MyPitt page. By submitting a general application, you enter yourself into a pool of applicants that are exposed to all scholarships offered by the University of Pittsburgh. My last bit of advice is to never stop applying. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t win the first few scholarships you apply for. As the obnoxiously cheesy saying goes, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” You won’t win any scholarships if you don’t apply, so keep on writing, and keep on applying. From one broke college student to another, this is Lisa Coe signing off. For more questions about applying for scholarships (and research fellowships such as the Mentor-Mentee Summer Research Fellowship) visit Lisa in Langley A230 on Thursdays from 1:30-2:30.
0 Comments
Owen PolingSenior BIOSC major, Pre-Dent Hello, everyone! I hope the semester is running smoothly for those of you reading this. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak as part of a panel to my fellow students in the Biology department about what I had done with my summer, how to find exciting and productive opportunities for the summer, and other tips for undergraduates. I thought that for this blog post, I could reiterate some of what I had shared at the panel.
The first half of my summer was rather dull. I worked two jobs and took a summer course. However, the second half of my summer was far more exciting. I had the unique opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic (the DR) to work at a volunteer dental clinic in a rural province known as La Vega. I stayed in the country for two weeks. Eight days were devoted to clinic work and volunteering with local schools to teach kids about proper dental hygiene. The work experience I gained from this program was truly invaluable; I assisted in multiple dental surgeries, cleaned teeth, and helped with x-ray imaging. Not only was I able to gain experience to prepare me for a career in dental medicine, but I was uniquely able to get a taste of the Dominican culture. The lifestyle of the people there is so different from the American lifestyle. People are always willing to make conversation with strangers, help you with directions, and be as welcoming as possible. I was honestly stunned by how genuine the people on the island were towards me. Lunch breaks in the DR are also quite different from those in the US: they last a whole hour-and-a-half. Workers take naps from 12-2, and it’s perfectly accepted! I miss that dearly. The remaining days I spent on the island were more laid back than the first 8. I was able to essentially go on a vacation! I travelled about an hour north from the hostel I was staying in and spent some time at a resort, which was a wonderful, tropical escape. That being said, I would have never gone on this trip if I hadn’t planned extensively during the previous fall and spring semesters. The process of finding summertime work is truly the emphasis of this blog entry. Being a student in Pitt’s biology department puts us in a wonderful position to find summertime opportunities: whether it be a trip abroad, an internship with a large company, or a research position in a university lab. We are surrounded with incredible resources. For those of you interested in gaining experience in exciting fields this summer, I would suggest looking now! The internet is your best friend. Be on the lookout for opportunities listed in the Bio Weekly Newsletter, new posts on Handshake, opportunities on internship websites, Pitt career and internship fairs (check out the Career Center Events Page), or just Google search something you think you would like to work with! The earlier you begin searching, the more manageable it is to gather required application documents, like letters of recommendation, resumes, and cover letters. Taking these steps enables you to build the best application you can and puts you on track to have an amazing summer work experience! I recommend that you check out Volunteers Around the World (VAW), a group that provides a great volunteer opportunity to go abroad for 1-2 weeks over the summer and help those in need abroad. Students will partake in hands-on experiences such as assisting and observing a variety of dental operations. Pre-dental or not, it will be a memorable, fun, and rewarding experience! More info: http://www.volunteersaroundtheworld.org/ If you have any additional questions about finding summer internships, jobs, or service opportunities feel free to stop by my advising office hours on Fridays from 2-3pm in Langley A230 across from the Langley Lobby. Julia SwarthoutJunior Biological Sciences major. When I first came to Pitt, I knew without a doubt that biology was the right path for me. As a high school student, I always looked forward to my science courses, so majoring in biology was a no-brainer. However, when it came to deciding my fate beyond my undergraduate education, the choice was no longer obvious. I debated whether I wanted to pursue a medical education or a PhD program post-graduation; I changed my mind about 8 times over the course of my first year, each time leaving me more confused. Did I want to tackle the challenging road ahead to become a physician? Or would I rather work toward a PhD and instead dedicate my time to scientific research?
It wasn’t until I began working as a home health aide during the summer after my first year that my choice became clear. As a home health aide, I traveled to the homes of elderly patients near me and assisted them with their “activities of daily living”. These activities ranged from assistance with bathing and toileting, to cleaning their homes, helping with laundry, and shopping for groceries. While I wasn’t completing the most glamorous of tasks, I learned the importance of compassion, patience, and most importantly, companionship. The personal connections I made with the elderly patients made my job entirely worth it. On my third day of work, I arrived at a patients’ home whom I had never met before. I was nervous and anxious as I was still trying my best to adapt to my new working environment. Despite my uneasy nerves, I was excited to meet the patient I would be assisting for the next four hours. Upon knocking on the door, I was greeted by an incredibly friendly yet reserved 85-year-old woman. She quickly informed me that she simply needed help with her laundry, and then I was free to go. I cleaned and folded her laundry, and within an hour I was done. Feeling a little guilty about potentially leaving so quickly, I decided to sit with my patient and talk to her. After a few minutes of the classic small talk, she began to tell me about her life growing up in Russia; how she met her husband, fell in love, and moved to the US to provide a better life for her children. She explained that her first home in the US burned down in a fire, leaving her and her family with nothing. She also spoke solemnly about her late son’s battle with cancer. We talked for nearly 2 hours! As I was finally leaving, she had tears in her eyes and gave me a huge hug; her feeble smile was full of appreciation and kindness. After my summer of hard work, I realized that I could fold all of the laundry in the world or give baths to patients till my fingers pruned, but it means nothing without human connection. Hearing patients’ stories, listening to the hardships and obstacles they’ve had to overcome, and learning the things that make them smile and make their days brighter has made my time so worthwhile. Healthcare so often focuses on the tangible things: fixing chemical imbalances, setting broken legs. or stitching wounds. It can be easy to forget just how unique and special it is to personally connect with those you serve. Sure, as a physician you get the opportunity to heal physical ailments; but that is not what draws me to healthcare. Rather, it is the opportunity to get to know people, to experience their ways of life, and to hear the stories that built them into who they are today. While my first job in healthcare might not have been the most exciting, I am forever thankful that it guided me in the right direction. Healthcare must be a balance between practicing medicine and practicing humanity, and I now know that a lifetime as a physician is the life I seek to lead. Sofie PatzakSenior Biological Sciences and Sociology Major. Pre-Physician Assistant. This summer, I had the privilege of spending my time working at a summer camp for children and adults living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. At the Woodlands Foundation, I was part of a team of thirty college counselors. Each counselor was responsible for taking care of up to three campers per week at themed camps such as Sports or Music Camp. Our days began at 7 AM where we would help campers rise for some fun filled activities. Our days would end late in the evening once we helped the campers back into bed. Assisting campers with their daily living needs made working at the Woodlands a hands-on, patient care experience. In a short span of time, the Woodlands taught me how to transport and cath campers, manage dietary (glucose) needs, and mediate behaviors that some of the campers engage in due to their disabilities. By the end of my summer experience I had documented 700 hours of patient care. While those hours will certainly help me on my path to PA school, the moments that made up those hours simply cannot be quantified. Many of the campers look forward to spending a week at the Woodlands all year long. At the Woodlands, campers get to connect with other people their age, learn independence, try something new, or simply have the opportunity to be themselves without judgment. While those of you reading this can likely do most of those things without a second thought, campers at the Woodlands are often misunderstood or even isolated from their hometown communities because those around them do not take the time to understand their often unique communication styles. Whether this communication method be by way of a simple foot tap, a DynaVox device, or sign language, my experience at the Woodlands is proof that regardless of our communication method, we are all human beings with similar feelings, passions, and dreams. I am fortunate enough to have been able to work at a place that strives toward making these dreams come true. At the Woodlands, I got to be a part of a lot of “firsts”: a camper’s first time cooking, their first time finding a hidden talent like playing the piano, or their first time socializing with someone new. Seeing the joy on campers’ faces in these moments, moments that may have changed their lives forever, was truly priceless.
It would be an understatement to say that the counselors were the only people working to change lives this summer; my life has definitely changed because of the campers I encountered at the Woodlands. Some campers taught me patience, others taught me how to care for people in a way that I never have before. Most importantly, every single camper I met this summer has given me a newfound sense of appreciation for the value of human connection. I wouldn’t trade this summer for anything. To those applying to summer jobs in the future, I hope you too can find a workplace that not only challenges you, but helps you grow as a person. Learn more about the Woodlands and how to apply for a summer job like Sofie’s here. Mark D’AlesioSenior | Biology & Italian For the past two summers, I’ve been working at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals right outside New York City. I do lab-based research involving disorders of the connective tissue. Before I started this internship program, I had very minimal lab experience. Regeneron was a perfect choice for me because, in spite of my lack of previous experience, everyone there is willing to help me grow as a scientist. My manager in particular – Dr. Silvia Smaldone – would spend hours on some days walking me through procedures and concepts to make sure that I had a strong foundational understanding of what I was doing. She never saw this as an inconvenience or as something dragging her away from her own work. She genuinely wanted to help me learn and develop into an independent scientist. Thanks to her help, I was able to lead several projects on my own and contribute to her research. The environment at Regeneron is truly something else. Regeneron does a great job at incorporating their student interns into the company. The summer is full of events designed to make us feel like more than just undergrad research assistants: we attend and present at department meetings, sit in on guest lecture events, and have many fun social events with the rest of the company! My favorite of these events is the “B&B,” or “Beer and BS.” If you’re 21, you’re invited to drink beer, watch scientists give presentations on their work, and rip them apart (aka be critical of their work)! It’s such a fun time and really makes me feel like a valued member of the company. Another perk – free ice cream every Thursday! My department is also beautifully diverse – my coworkers have been recruited from countries including Greece, China, Australia, Japan, Germany, Colombia, India, and many more. The result is a group of scientists with varying perspectives who are able to attack a problem from multiple different angles. If you walk into the lab at any point in time, you could expect to hear five different languages being spoken at once. Because of this, Regeneron feels like the “melting pot” of science: a place where people of all backgrounds come together to address today’s global medical problems. As an Italian major, I was so excited to find out that Dr. Smaldone herself is from Italy! Not only did she help me develop as a scientist, but she also helped me develop my Italian every chance that we got. Our speaking practice in the lab exposed me to a whole new realm of scientific vocabulary that I was never previously in contact with. I am so fortunate to be working with Dr. Smaldone. While she’s been an excellent teacher of science and Italian for the past two years, she has also become an excellent friend. We even got the chance to meet up in Naples (where she’s from) while I was studying abroad this past summer! There, I met her extended family, had the greatest pizza of my life, and was given an amazing tour of the city. Working at Regeneron has perfectly prepared me for my future career goals. I am currently applying to medical schools and am particularly interested in global health. By working with Dr. Smaldone, I’ve been trained to think scientifically while also learning more about a culture and healthcare system unlike my own. This is the kind of experience that one should expect by working at Regeneron. Everyone there is so well-rounded and personable which makes me so excited to return next summer!
If you’re interested in Regeneron’s summer internship program, visit the following link: https://careers.regeneron.com/c/research-and-development-jobs. Internship positions pop up on this site throughout the winter, so check back periodically if you don’t see any spots at the moment! And feel free to reach out with any questions ([email protected])! |
Pitt Bio BlogThe Pitt Bio Blog is maintained by the Department of Biological Sciences Advising Office. Posts are authored by our students Archives
January 2022
Categories |